Meet The Freshman: Quarterback Aidan Glover
Every recruiting class for a team in a power five conference needs a quarterback. The Tigers found theirs in Collierville, Tennessee, native Aiden Glover.
Glover skyrocketed up national rankings throughout the 2023 season and eventually the summer when he arrived on campus. He finished as a top-600 player in the nation and the best quarterback in the state of Tennessee. He now has a chance to be the second-string quarterback for the Tigers, and possibly the future starter.
One of multiple capable quarterbacks on Missouri's roster, Glover will be caught in a battle for the QB2 spot. Arizona State transfer Drew Pyne will be in the running, as will Southern transfer Harold Blood Jr, who impressed in spring ball. It's possible Glover doesn't touch the field this season, or the one after. He does not lack in the talent department however. After Brady Cook leaves, the quarterback spot is wide open for the taking and that's when Glover will see a opening. Here's everything to know about the talented freshman.
High School
Glover had a productive season last year for the Collierville Dragons. In 11 total games, Glover threw for 1.802 yards and 21 touchdowns. He recorded a 57.3% completion percentage, on top of 8 interceptions as well. The year prior he posted 1,421 yards, 21 touchdowns and 6 interceptions on a 64.9% completion percentage.
Glover also got it done on the ground. He rushed for 369 yards last year, with 7 touchdowns to show for it. He ran for 418 the year prior and 3 touchdowns.
Recruiting
Glover made his commitment to Missouri official on June 15, 2023. He signed on December 20 and enrolled on January 8. He took a plethora of both official and unofficial visits, including officials to Northwestern and Boston College. He took unofficials to Ole Miss, Florida State, Houston, Tulane, Indiana and others.
He was a composite ranked 3-star ranked recruit, listed with 3 stars by all four major recruiting services. In composite rankings, he was ranked as the No. 643 player in the country. That also made him the No. 40 quarterback, and No. 16 best player in the state of Tennessee. He was not in any official top rankings by any of the recruiting services.
Before committing to Missouri, Northwestern appeared to be the favorite for Glover. He enjoyed his time at Northwestern and it truly appeared as if he would send his talents to the Big 10. He committed only days after his visit to Columbia, shutting down the Wildcats' chances of obtaining Glover.
Fit with the Tigers
Glover's strongest ability is his ability to move. He is quick on designed runs and excels at escaping the pocket. He's creative in the way he gets out and is elusive getting around defenders. He only ran for around 700 yards in his career, but that can certainly take an increase with freedom in an offense.
He has a very powerful arm, but could improve in the accuracy department. His accuracy improves in intermediate and shorter routes. Glover certainly still has an effective deep ball, but it needs improvement. Glover weights 191 pounds, so he could also afford to put on some weight. He has good height for a signal-caller standings at 6-foot-3.
Everyone knows that Glover will not be the starting quarterback this season. Brady Cook will be the starter and unless he goes down with an injury, or truly struggles to the extent where he's unplayable, will be the only quarterback to see significant snaps. That doesn't make this a meaningless season for Glover.
With the injury of Sam Horn, the only other quarterback with experience in the Tigers system from last season, the backup quarterback spot is wide open. The prime candidate for the job is Drew Pyne, a 23 year-old journeyman with stops at Arizona State and Notre Dame. He has true power-five experience. Southern University transfer Harold Blood Jr, the brother of receiver Daniel Blood, also has good experience.
Glover will have an opportunity to earn the backup spot this year. As for most of the incoming freshman, it will be a challenge to see much of the field their first season and possibly more. He is talented and has more of an opening than other freshman do to move up the depth chart, but the focus of Glover's seasons will be to develop and give himself a chance to start in future seasons.
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MICHAEL STAMPS
Michael Stamps is a freshman at the University of Missouri pursuing a degree in journalism. He's covered recruiting for MizzouCentral since 2023. Michael is from Papillion, Nebraska.