Mizzou plans to play Cook, Horn at QB in opener

Missouri plans to feature two quarterbacks when it begins the season at home against South Dakota on Aug. 31.

Tigers coach Eliah Drinkwitz told reporters after Saturday night’s scrimmage that he expects both Brady Cook and Sam Horn to play.

“I think, in this day and age of college football, I think you can very easily see a couple quarterbacks play in the first couple of games and let the play on the field decide it,” Drinkwitz said. “We got to know a little bit more about some of our other quarterbacks on Friday when we went live with them.

“Some of the plays that Brady will make when he’s live — same thing with Sam — there’s a couple of plays he extends and makes throws down the field that, that he makes just because he’s such a big body. We’ll see both [of them], I anticipate, the first game, and then kind of play it from there.”

Cook, a junior, started all 13 games for Missouri last season, finishing with 2,724 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for 585 yards and six scores.

Horn, a former four-star prospect, redshirted last season. He appeared in only one game, going 0-for-2 passing and rushing once for 10 yards.

Drinkwitz praised Cook’s leadership after he was voted a team captain earlier in the week.

Although Drinkwitz singled out Cook’s third-down play as a place for improvement, he also said the quarterback was efficient during camp.

“He’s really steady, knows the offense, digests plays, is a smart and disciplined decision-maker,” Drinkwitz said.

In Drinkwitz’s third season as head coach, the Tigers finished 6-7. In November, he was given a two-year contract extension through the 2025 season.