Brady Cook Carries 2023 Confidence Into a New Season With High Expectations

The third-year starter said everything changed for him after beating the Kansas State Wildcats in 2023.

Brady Cook at the Podium / SEC Media Portal

DALLAS -- The Missouri football team was 2-0 in 2023 leading into the biggest non-conference game on its schedule. The Tigers were set to take on the Kansas State Wildcats, looking to avenge a 28-point loss from the season before. As starting quarterback Brady Cook was introduced to the Tiger faithful at Farout Field, he was greeted by a chorus of boos.

"We were a .500 team my first year starting in 2022. No one wanted me out there. No one wanted me to run out and be announced as the starting, at least at Missouri, that's what it felt like. Whether it's the loud majority or not, as a quarterback, that's just part of the job," said Cook at SEC Media Days on Tuesday. "Good or bad, you're always going to get something. Whether it's social media, the media, the news, the fans, that's just a part of the job. At that point in my career, yeah I felt that for sure, it was tough. All I wanted was Mizzou to embrace me as the quarterback, that was my dream. It was hard, but it definitely helped. Looking back, I'm glad I went through it because last year was even sweeter."

Cook responded to the negativity by passing for 356 yards and two touchdowns and scoring another on the ground. The Tigers' 30-27 victory over the Wildcats not only kickstarted the best Missouri season under head coach Eli Drinkwitz, but also assured Cook that he was the man to lead the program through the battles in the SEC.

Drinkwitz opened his postgame press conference after the win by berating the fans for their treatment of Cook. The third-year starter told the media in Dallas that his performance, combined with his coach's comments, sparked a fire and a confidence that still burns to this day.

"It was awesome," said Cook. "What he said and just the respect I gained for him right then and there. I was like 'Wow, this coach has my back'. I think that kind of turned the table on our relationship, from there we were in it together, we were going to do something special last year. I knew he had my back, that gave me confidence and I appreciated the heck out of it."

Cook finished the year with 3,317 passing yards to finish fourth in the SEC and tallied 29 touchdowns from under center, also good enough for fourth in a conference that featured a Heisman Trophy winner in Jayden Daniels and a projected 2025 NFL first round pick in Carson Beck.

While Cook is still a bit under the radar amongst his peers in the conference, he enters the year knowing he's the man to lead the Missouri offense in 2024. He'll get to throw to one of the best receivers in the SEC in Luther Burden without looking over his shoulder or having to tune out booing home fans.

"I've played a lot of football now at this point of my career. I'm not clawing for a starting position this year going into camp. I think chemistry-wise, with the offense, with the receivers, with the line, with the new running backs we got in. I think that's right where it needs to be. I think experience and confidence is going to take me quite a way this year," said Cook.