Spring Football Position Preview: Quarterbacks
Missouri will start its approach toward the 2023 campaign with the first day of spring practice in early March. Until then, we will preview the 2023 roster by doing position-by-position previews. First, we start with the quarterbacks.
The starter: As of right now the starter for this position is what the betting world would call a "pick 'em." There are so many variables this offseason that make this position unpredictable.
Last season's starter, Brady Cook, had an up-and-down year so his starter status was already in question. When it was announced he had surgery to repair a torn right labrum in his shoulder after the season and would be out of spring football it all but paved a way for Sam Horn to receive the starting role for spring football, but then the Tigers added JUCO transfer Dylan Laible before making the big splash and signing Miami transfer Jake Garcia.
Missouri also hired Kirby Moore to be the team's new offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach.
So, the Tigers are starting fresh. Without Cook, Horn may have a slight edge and be QB1 for the spring football practices simply because he has a rapport with the school, his teammates and the returning coaching staff. Not to mention, Horn, who was the No. 72 overall prospect in the class of 2022 according to Rivals.com, was the player Eli Drinkwitz recruited to be his quarterback of the foreseeable future.
The backups: Garcia will be the backup, but it would be hard to imagine the first-team reps not being a 50-50 split or close to it. Garcia was a top 50 overall player in his own right in 2021 and actually led his high school football team to a Georgia state title win over Horn in 2020, so he's more than familiar with competing against Horn. Garcia completed 68 of 115 (59%) passes for 803 yards, five touchdowns and four interceptions across eight games and one start versus Virginia which the Hurricanes won. He was also ranked as a four-star transfer and the No. 25 available overall transfer by Rivals.com., so he is more of a 1B to Horn's 1A than a true backup. Although, it could be the inverse order.
Laible comes to Missouri as a preferred walk-on after spending three seasons with Hutchinson C.C. (KS) where he threw for 2,182 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions in 12 games last season. He joins Brett Brown and Tommy Lock as walk-on quarterbacks who will be participating in spring football.
Storyline to watch for: There will be a number of storylines related to this position from day one of spring practice right until a starter is announced. What quarterback will give themselves an edge heading into the summer and fall camp? Who picks up Moore's offense quicker? Will Cook's absence help or hurt his chances to regain the starting spot heading into the fall camp?
PowerMizzou Prediction: There isn't going to be a starting quarterback named for the regular season until fall camp, but Horn probably gets the first-team reps in the Black and Gold game and then the two-man race turns into a three-man race once Cook gets back for fall camp.
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