Quirk Spring Notebook: Cook, Macon embracing QB competition

Since Connor Bazelak entered the transfer portal in December, the talk about the Missouri football team has centered on who would line up behind center in 2022. Bazelak’s departure left the Tigers with just two scholarship quarterbacks for spring practices, sophomore Brady Cook and redshirt freshman Tyler Macon, each of whom has started exactly one career game.

Head coach Eli Drinkwitz has made it clear that neither player will be named the starting quarterback at the end of spring ball. He also plans to add more players to the quarterback room. Incoming freshman Sam Horn will enroll in June, and Missouri has pursued a few transfer quarterbacks, including Jayden Daniels, who visited Columbia before enrolling at LSU.

But that hasn’t dampened the contest between Cook and Macon over the past three weeks. Speaking to reporters for the first time since last season, both players said they’ve welcomed the competition.

“I think competition makes both parties better, in every situation, really,” Cook said. “So in the meeting room, in film, in everything. Taking notes, showing up on time, workouts, obviously practice, reps. I think it makes us both better.”

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Both Macon and Cook outlined areas they feel they’ve improved during spring practices. Both noted that they didn’t get many reps with the starters during practices last spring or fall, so the past few weeks have offered a chance to develop chemistry with the first-team offense.

For Cook, who started Missouri’s Armed Forces Bowl loss against Army in December, that’s been beneficial. Cook completed 27 of 34 passes for 238 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 53 yards and another score in the game. He said the biggest thing he hoped to improve from last season was his comfortability in the offense — not just with his teammates, but with identifying and exploiting defenses.

“I want to be more comfortable out there going through my progressions and trusting what I see as far as defensive ID,” he said.

Macon, who made his lone start at national champion Georgia and completed six of 13 passes for 74 yards, also mentioned gaining comfortability as a developmental goal. He also said he’s working to become a more accurate passer.

Macon also said he’s learning to strike a balance between standing in the pocket and using his legs to scramble. He doesn’t shy away from being labeled a running quarterback — he said he’s going to embrace it and “use my legs when I have to” — but he felt last season he was too eager to run. That matchup against Georgia’s freakish defense, his first extensive game experience since the fall of 2019, opened his eyes to the speed of SEC football players.

“Not just relying on my legs, but relying on, trusting my throwing abilities,” Macon said. “So I’d say that’s the biggest thing with my run game, just knowing when to take the opportunity to run it, when to take the opportunity to pass.”

Neither Cook nor Macon is yet a finished product. But Drinkwitz said he has seen both players grow this spring, particularly in their ability to handle adversity. Drinkwitz listed that as a key quarterback attribute, along with decision-making and command.

“You could see it today,” he said. “In a competition, you get to see it when the other guy goes in and makes a big play. You have to come out and maybe you’re with the twos or the threes and it’s maybe not the same equal footing, but you’re going to be judged. And so do you press or do you take what the defense gives you? Do you stay within yourself and focus on this play? How do you respond when you’ve got a bunch of plays right in a row that aren’t typical plays? So maybe you get bored, make a bad decision and throw an interception. Or maybe you’re just getting your behind kicked and it’s not going your way, and what’s the response? What’s the leadership capability? … So there’s a lot of good teaching.”

Cook and Macon understand that they may not only be competing against one another for the starting spot. Drinkwitz said last week that he wasn’t desperate to add a transfer to the quarterback room, but he wouldn’t shy away from doing so if the right player hits the market, either. He reiterated Tuesday that there will be other players in the mix to start. Both Cook and Macon said that’s fine with them.

“They’re both maturing, they’re both trying to do what we ask them to do, and it means a lot to both of them,” Drinkwitz said of Cook and Macon. “Gosh, they both want to be the starting quarterback for the University of Missouri. They’ve both got the right stuff. So I can’t wait to continue to watch this battle unfold. Can’t wait to continue to add other guys to it. Looking forward to Sam getting in here this summer, and as the late Colin Powell said, ‘the only thing better than a little competition is a lot of competition,’ and we’re going to continue to add competition to this quarterback battle, and we need it. We need it in order to win in this league.”

Cook and Macon will get an opportunity to show Missouri fans how they’ve developed Saturday when the team holds its annual Black and Gold game. This year, however, the game is taking on a new format.

Instead of matching up the offense against the defense or the first team against the reserves, Drinkwitz is having his players draft teams. Slot receiver Barrett Banister and defensive end Isaiah McGuire will captain one squad, while offensive lineman Connor Wood and defensive tackle Darius Robinson will pick the other. The draft will occur Wednesday. The Tiger coaching staff will also split up, with half coaching each team.

Drinkwitz believes the unique format will challenge his players, as starters will have to mesh with reserves on both sides of the ball. He hopes it will provide both entertainment and an opportunity to assess how each player has developed.

“Number one goal for us was individual player development, and no better way to see that than through getting the chance to cut loose and play,” Drinkwitz said. “Hopefully it’s exciting for both players, family, and again, our coaches can evaluate how much growth each one of these guys have had.”

Cook said the upcoming draft has the locker room abuzz, with players posturing for draft position and speculating about strategy.

“There’s some chatter, and there’s some game plans and strategies going down,” he said. “I hear Barrett Banister, he’s been talking strategy and whatnot. So we’ll see. It’s going to be fun.”

Asked which players have impressed him during the first three weeks of spring practices, Drinkwitz offered a handful of names. He started with a player that has drawn praise throughout the spring: cornerback Dreyden Norwood. Norwood, who transferred to Missouri from Texas A&M after appearing in two games as a true freshman, has been able to spend quite a bit of time with the first team during spring ball due to a rash of injuries in the secondary, and he has lived up to the challenge.

“(Norwood) has really come in and asserted himself, and (he’s) getting a ton of reps with the ones,” Drinkwitz said. “Coach (Al) Pogue is really challenging him to get better, putting oven mitts on him to keep him from holding in one-on-ones. And I’ve seen him struggle and I’ve seen the growth there.”

Drinkwitz also named McGuire, Robinson and a pair of linebackers on the defensive side of the ball. He complimented Chad Bailey on his physicality and said Devin Nicholson has really developed physically.

“We challenged Devin Nicholson to put on some weight, and he’s weighing 231,” Drinkwitz said. “That’s individual growth.”

On offense, Drinkwitz named wide receiver Tauskie Dove and offensive lineman Zeke Powell. Drinkwitz said Dove earned offensive MVP honors after Saturday’s live scrimmage portion of practice, during which he made “at least five contested catches down the field.” Powell has shifted from the backup left tackle to the first-teamer on the right end of the offensive line due to an injury that has sidelined Hyrin White. Drinkwitz has been pleased with his ability to adapt to the new position.

“Asked him to move to right tackle, and to really develop, to learn that position,” Drikwitz said of Powell. “And there have been days when it hasn’t looked good, but he keeps coming back every day. He’s not giving in to the despair or the negativity. He just keeps fighting. And I thought Saturday he had a really good day, setting the edge in pass protection.”

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