Missouri Football: Tigers must evolve at quarterback

For the Missouri football team to compete with the likes of its SEC opponents, the Tigers must get better on offense from the quarterback position.

Going into the Spring of 2022, Missouri football head coach Eli Drinkwitz understands that for the Tigers to compete with the likes of its SEC opponents, they must get better offensively. The evolution of the Tigers’ offense boils down to one major theme: The Arms Race. They need better production from the quarterback position.

Since Drew Lock was drafted in the 2nd round by the Denver Broncos in 2019, the Tigers have struggled to achieve that level of consistency at the QB position. Kelly Bryant. Taylor Powell. Shawn Robinson. Connor Bazelak. Tyler Macon. Brady Cook. 35 combined starts. 17-18 record. In those 35 games, the combination of quarterbacks have passed for 300+ yards in a game only 8 times. In Lock’s last 2 seasons, he passed for 300+ yards on 9 occasions.

After winning the starting job over Shawn Robinson in 2020, Connor Bazelak went on to start 20 of the next 21 regular-season games. Even as the offense floundered at times, Drinkwitz remain committed to Bazelak under the premise that he gave the team the best chance to win.

In what would be his final game as the starter, Bazelak recorded a putrid 65 yards on 10 of 26 passing and an interception. It was the third consecutive game that he failed to throw for at least 200 yards. Looking to jump-start the offense going into the Armed Forces Bowl game versus Army, Drinkwitz decided to make the switch from Bazelak to the more mobile Brady Cook.

Missouri football’s change at quarterback started last season

The moment that Brady Cook sprinted down the field untouched for a 30-yard touchdown on the opening drive, Connor Bazelak’s days as a starter for the Tigers were over. He would transfer out of the program following the game, finally landing at Indiana. Meanwhile, Cook completed 27 of 34 passes for 238 yards and one touchdown to go along with 53 yards on the ground and another score.

Tyler Macon, the redshirt freshman from St. Louis, is also in the running for the starting quarterback position. Despite starting one game at Georgia in place of an injured Bazelak, Macon saw little action in 2021. He completed just 9 of 17 passes for 143 yards for the season. He did however pass for a touchdown as well as run for one. His dual-threat ability at quarterback is something that Missouri football has lacked over the last 2 seasons.

Then there’s Sam Horn, a 6’4 4-star from Georgia who led Collins Hill High to a state championship. Horn, a key centerpiece of the 2022 signing class that ranked as the highest in school history, has not made it onto campus as of yet. His gun-slinging ability coupled with good mobility may be more than enough to offset the lack of experience in the offensive system.

With all being said, there may be one last rabbit (JT Daniels) that Eli Drinkwitz pulls out of the hat.