One day prior to the Tigers hitting the field for their first fall practice on Monday, head coach Eli Drinkwitz and quarterbacks Brady Cook, Sam Horn and Jake Garcia all previewed what they're looking to work on in camp and how they'll approach the quarterback competition.

When Drinkwitz hired Kirby Moore to be the new quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, it was a two-fold move.

It was to bring in someone else with some fresh ideas to open up the team's offense and put more points on the board, but it was also to alleviate some of Drinkwitz's responsibilities he held as coordinator.

However, his fall camp responsibilities will be the same as they were in previous years.

"To be honest, my role is kind of similar to what I've always done in fall camp and in spring just because last year I would sit in meetings and let coach (Bush) Hamdan echo and relay the calls and handle the sidelines so that I could try to be an overseer of the entire program," Drinkwitz said. "So, that won't change. I will bounce throughout meetings a little bit more. But (I'll) still focus on the offense and the quarterbacks as we get that situated and more settled."

When Moore was asked how his and Drinkwitz's relationship has been going, he said it's been going well, and that they're continuing to learn from each other.

Working alongside offensive coaches as an offensive coordinator is nothing new for Moore, who was in a similar spot last year under Jeff Tedford at Fresno State.

"[It's been] really, really good in terms of things from spring ball that we've done here before, then fall camp, and then leading into those first couple of games which are things we are working on right now."

When it comes to whoever the team's new starting quarterback will be, Moore said the player will need to be able to command an offense, have ball security and make plays down the field.

"Take command and be a leader," Moore said. "They've got to take care of the ball on critical downs. The big thing in terms of the passing game is being more explosive, and everyone is a part of that. That's not just the quarterback. That's the pass protection (and) receivers making plays down the field. But that's something we really have to stress and improve throughout camp."

Drinkwitz made similar sentiments and gave five attributes he believes the eventual starter will need: toughness, preparation, decision-making, accuracy, and leadership.

He also made note of some of the strengths and weaknesses of his top three quarterbacks and what they need to improve on in camp to have a shot at the starting gig.

"I think each one of them is gifted with a lot of different aspects of talent and a lot of similarities but each has to play to their own strengths," Drinkwitz said. "When you talk about Cook, obviously he has experience playing on the field, toughness and speed. (He) has to improve on the question marks from last season."

Those question marks are his deep-throw accuracy and his decision-making.

"Sam Horn is a big, long athlete who runs better than you expect, throws an accurate ball and has a playmaking ability," Drinkwitz said. "But he lacks experience and in-game reps that he's going to have to create.

"Jake Garcia is more athletic than you probably give him credit for. He has a lot of arm talent and has played in multiple games in his career. So, he has that experience. It's just about getting comfortable with the players on the team relative to the wide receiver position."

Being more explosive and getting more points on the board have almost been overemphasized this offseason and couple that with the traits Drinkwitz listed, and the formula for the starter has been put in place.

The week two matchup versus Kansas State last season was a nightmarish game for the Tigers and it only got worse as the game went on.

The Wildcats blitzed the Tigers to a 14-3 lead before lightning halted the game for over 40 minutes with 7:44 left in the second quarter.

On the first play after the delay, Cook took a snap from the shotgun to run a quarterback counter run play. He sifted through the defense but was caught from behind by Felix Anudike-Uzomah, a recent first-round pick of the Kansas City Chiefs.

Cook had the ball in his left hand while his right arm was stretched out as he tried to brace his fall, but Uzomah landed on Cook's shoulder which caused the labrum to tear.

"Immediately, I knew something was wrong just because it was like a jolting pain," Cook said. "It felt like my shoulder fell off almost. It was a weird feeling. So, I knew something was wrong, but I didn't know what it was."

Cook would play the rest of the season with the tear before getting surgery in late December.

Going into camp, Cook is looking to improve his deep ball accuracy. Something a torn labrum in his throwing arm would certainly impact.

He was adamant that the injury isn't an excuse for how he played, but said it was a grind to finish the season with the injury.

"It was tough, Cook said. "It was definitely a battle every practice and every game. You know, that was the battle I chose to make, though."

At SEC Media Days a couple of weeks ago, Drinkwitz said Cook attacked rehab probably a little harder than the team hoped. But for Brady, he just wanted to race back so he wasn't too far behind the eight-ball in the quarterback competition.

"I really started (rehabbing) in January, and after you get out of that sling, it's pretty much full go," Cook said happily. "I probably worked on it three and a half to four hours of the day. February and March were probably the hardest months. Just strengthening, stretching, mobility range of motion, and then easing into throwing.

"About halfway through spring ball I was going hard and I started throwing a little bit. I was asking the trainers can I hop in on some seven-on-sevens. I wanted to get out there for some. I ended up strapping it up for some of the spring ball practices, not in team reps, obviously. But, I was making a couple of throws that they didn't want me making (for fear of aggravating the injury), and I was definitely hungry to get out there."

Cook enters camp as the team's incumbent starter, so in theory, it's his job to lose. Even though it doesn't mean much in the long run, Cook said it helps with his confidence.

"I think that (being named the starter for camp) definitely brings the confidence aspect to it," Cook said. "I've got experience now. I've got games under my belt, and I think that's definitely going to help moving into fall camp. Obviously, it's a competition like any other fall camp, but that confidence is going to help me perform."

Something else Cook is more confident in is his mechanics, which he had to alter for much of the year to play. However, just in time for fall camp, Cook said his mechanics are back to how they were before the injury.

"It definitely took three or four weeks to kind of get my process of how I was going to do this, and just continually just fight through it," Cook said. "During the season, I definitely had to change my mechanics a little bit. I was doing a little bit of some funky stuff just to take some of the pressure off of my shoulder.

"I probably created some bad habits during the season. But since getting cleared, I've kind of evolved, and gone back to my normal mechanics."

In Cook's lone game without the injury versus Lousiana Tech in week one, he completed 66% of his passes for 201 yards, a touchdown and an interception. He also had seven carries for 61 yards and a touchdown.

Garcia enters fall camp with some experience as Drinkwitz said, having played eight games last year for Miami completing 59% of his passes for 803 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions last year.

Garcia said he thinks that experience and the camp competition from last year in Miami will help as he prepares for this competition.

"I think it definitely helps me," Garcia said. "I think if I didn't have the experience it would definitely be a different situation going into this competition. I've been in these situations knowing that I've been in a college atmosphere or situations where I've had the highs and lows and knowing how to bounce back from it and keep calm, cool and level-headed."

Garcia transferred to Missouri and January and has been able to watch Cook and what he does to prepare and said he sees why guys in the locker room like and respect him.

"I think he has that type of pull (in the locker room) because he's been here and been able to play, been able to prove himself and show those leadership qualities to the guys," Garcia said. "So, they definitely trust him as a leader and someone who can take control. I've (seen him) been able to direct people which is a big thing."

While Garcia had praise for Cook, he wasn't shy or awkward about what he is trying to accomplish which is to unseat Cook as the starter.

"We're all trying to take each other's job, right," Garcia asked rhetorically. "That's what football is. I say it all the time, especially as a quarterback, there's only one of us ... "I'm going to do whatever it takes to win. Whether that means me handing the ball off and chasing the running back after I carry out my fake and I'm going to try and get the lead block. I'm going to do everything in my power to win and I feel that's a relentless effort that rubs off on my teammates."

Of all the quarterbacks who spoke on Sunday, Garcia came off as the most serious in demeanor.

He was still smiling throughout and you can tell he genuinely is a team-first guy but he bares no bones about what his mission is over the next 25 practices.

Last season, Horn had a bit of trouble adjusting to being 14 hours away from his friends and family in Georgia. But with a year under his belt and feeling more comfortable in his surroundings, the redshirt freshman is looking to embrace more of a leadership role in fall camp.

"The knowledge of the game was the biggest thing for me in the spring," Horn said. "Just knowing schemes, knowing the defense to a tee and being detailed about it. Coming into the fall, it's really about being a leader, building that connection with everybody and making sure we're all on the same page as one."

Horn was limited through most of spring camp due to a forearm strain he suffered playing with the Tigers’ baseball team. He said he's "good" so the injury shouldn't be an issue moving forward.

Despite being in what could be a lengthy quarterback competition, Horn has enjoyed the camaraderie with his fellow quarterbacks and seeing how they prepare on a day-to-day basis.

"They're great guys," Horn said. "I really can't say enough about all of them. It's not just Brady and Jake, I mean there are all sorts of guys in there and we all kind of bond together in the quarterback room ... I mean it's just everyday routines. Just watching those guys do their business day to day. It's incredible to watch everybody and how they do everything. To be like a pro's pro."

However, the 6-foot-4, 219-pounder said he's just trying to stack the good days on top of each other one by one but at the end of the day he's a winner and he plans on winning this position battle.

"I'm just approaching it (the quarterback competition) one day at a time," Horn said. "I'm not really worried about the other guys because they're going to do their thing and I've just got to do my thing. So, it's just one day at a time for me and I've just got to ball every day.

"I've always seen myself as a winner. I'm going to go out there and give my 100% all the time, and when it comes to game time I'm always locked in and ready to play. To me, I'm a winner. I'm going to get it done."

Horn saw just one series versus New Mexico State in the team's penultimate regular season game in 2022.

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