No. 8 Alabama is set to face No. 14 Missouri in Columbia on Saturday, the first top 15 matchup between the two since 1978.
Missouri has been on the rise over the past couple of years largely thanks to the efforts of head coach Eliah Drinkwitz and, arguably more so, former Tigers quarterback Brady Cook.
Missouri is sitting at 5-0 and being led by one of the best quarterbacks in the country in Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, who’s following the blueprint for success that was established by Cook in his time as a starter at Missouri from 2022 to 2024.
Cook was a member of the 2020 recruiting class, and he committed to a Tigers program that went 6-6 the previous season, hadn’t had a 10-win season since 2014 and also just fired head coach Barry Odom, whom Drinkwitz replaced.
After staying loyal for two seasons and riding the bench while Missouri was unable to secure a winning season, Cook finally hit the field as the Tigers’ starter for the 2022 season.
Although Cook threw for over 2,700 yards, more than the quarterback that he replaced had ever accomplished, the issues prevailed as Missouri went 6-7.
When Cook returned for the 2023 season, he lit a flame unseen in Columbia since the 2013 season, when Missouri was ranked as high as No. 5, made an SEC championship appearance and beat No. 13 Oklahoma State in the Cotton Bowl.
Among SEC players, Cook finished the season ranked fourth in passing yards, fifth in completion percentage and sixth in passing touchdowns.
He also led the Tigers to their highest ranking since 2013, first 11-win season since 2014 and their win over No. 7 Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl, one of their biggest since 2013.
Cook got things rolling for Drinkwitz and the Tigers in every aspect, but especially in recruiting where Drinkwitz landed a top 25 recruiting class and a top 10 transfer class.
The Tigers dealt with some challenges in 2024, most notably with Cook getting injured, which also led to him missing most of Missouri’s 34-0 loss to Alabama and all of the Tigers’ win against Oklahoma.
Even after missing a game and a half, he still finished top 10 in the SEC in both passing yards and completion percentage, while Missouri finished with a 10-3 record.
It was the first time that the Tigers had back-to-back 10-win or better seasons since the 2013 season.
Pribula is a former 3-star quarterback that committed to the Nittany Lions out of high school. After two seasons as a backup and with Penn State’s starting quarterback set to return, Pribula transferred to the Missouri Tigers.
Through five games with Missouri, Pribula is keeping what Cook built alive, as the Tigers are now ranked No. 14 and are 5-0 on the season with notable wins over Kansas and South Carolina.
Pribula currently leads the SEC in completion percentage, and is also sitting at No. 7 in both passing yards and touchdowns in the SEC. He has 1,203 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns and only three interceptions, also boasting 121 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns.
Pribula and Cook have very similar play styles: threatening with their ability to improvise but able to excel as true pocket passers with lethal accuracy.
“I think he does a really good job with his accuracy,” Drinkwitz said after five games with Pribula as the starter. “Every snap at quarterback is an opportunity to learn, and I think he’s doing a really good job of managing the game.”
The Tigers also have Louisiana-Monroe transfer running back Ahmad Hardy, who is dangerous with over 800 all-purpose yards already this season.
Hardy’s presence takes pressure off Pribula, as Missouri used the duo to create a successful pass-run balance reminiscent of the scheme that Missouri ran with the duo of Cook and Cody Schrader, Missouri’s former star running back.
“They have a really good team, and they have a really good football program on an upward trajectory,” Pribula said.
With four more ranked games on the schedule for the Tigers, many around the college football world will have their eyes on Missouri to see if it can prove itself as one of the best.
But for now, the No. 14 Tigers will face the No. 8 Crimson Tide on Saturday at 11 a.m. CT on ABC. Alabama is currently favored by three points, according to BetMGM.
