Spring football preview: Quarterbacks
Missouri will open its third spring under Barry Odom next month. Over the next two weeks, we will preview spring ball position by position.
SPRING FOOTBALL 2017: QUARTERBACK
The Starter: Following a season in which he set an SEC single-season record with 40 touchdown passes, this job absolutely belongs to Drew Lock. Lock threw for 3,964 yards a season ago, then spurned the NFL Draft to come back to school for his senior season. With another 3,820 yards this season, Lock would own the Missouri record for most passing yards in a career. Even if he doesn’t match last year’s numbers under new offensive coordinator Derek Dooley, another strong season could result in Lock being selected in the first round of the 2019 draft.
The Backup: Micah Wilson appeared second behind Lock on the Tigers’ depth chart last season, but while he is back again this spring, he is far from guaranteed to hold onto the No. 2 spot. Jack Lowary, who spent a year in junior college before transferring to Missouri prior to last season, will be in the running along with Taylor Powell, who redshirted last season.. Plus, the Tigers recently added Lindsey Scott Jr., who enrolled at Missouri in January after leading East Mississippi Community College to the national junior college championship. Scott initially signed with LSU out of high school before opting to attend junior college. He is considered the most likely heir-apparent to Lock in the long run, but whether or not he will be able to learn the offense quickly enough to serve as the primary backup for the start of fall camp remains to be seen.
Potential Storylines: While the backup quarterback battle could be intriguing, Missouri fans will hope it is irrelevant, because if Lock gets injured, next season may be over before it begins. The real storyline here is how Lock adjusts to Dooley’s new offensive scheme. Lock put up huge numbers under Josh Heupel’s fast-paced, spread system a year ago, but reports have surfaced that he wasn’t thrilled with the lack of NFL-applicable concepts in the scheme. Dooley, who comes to Missouri after five years as the wide receivers coach of the Dallas Cowboys, figures to run a more pro-style offense that should allow Lock to display his abilities for NFL Draft scouts. The question is, how quickly can Lock make the adjustment?
Spring Prediction: Scott will do enough to earn the No. 2 spot behind Lock, setting himself up to take over the starting reigns in 2019.
Help on the Way: Another name to keep an eye on in the race for the backup job is Taylor Powell. A former 3-star recruit out of Fayetteville, Arkansas, Powell led Fayetteville High School to three consecutive state championship games. He redshirted last season but will be on the active roster this year and should, at the very least, provide the Tigers depth in case of emergency.
COMING TOMORROW: RUNNING BACKS