SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE FOOTBALL MEDIA DAYS

July 16, 2024

Brady Cook

Missouri Tigers

Press Conference

Q. First of all, got to say Max Powers says hello.

BRADY COOK: Is that your boy? He's my best friend.

Q. Yeah, I know. Just wanted to ask how you feel about Marcus Bryant maybe protecting your blind side and how you see Cayden fitting in on your offensive line. How are you guys coming together as a unit trying to replace really talented guys from last year's team?

BRADY COOK: It's hard to replace Javon Foster and Xavier Delgado. A lot of talent from those two, but I think we did about the best we could.

Cayden got here in January, and it's been a perfect fit. Him and Membou have already had a close connection, good relationship, which has helped a lot. He's meshed right in.

Then Marcus Bryant, he got here for this summer. It's been a great fit. Going through OTAs, workouts, meetings.

Those two are a perfect fit for our culture, perfect fit for the line. I'm excited to watch them do their thing.

Q. Kristian Williams just said that he felt like you all still had something to prove. Could you maybe expand on that a little bit?

BRADY COOK: Yeah, last year our motto formed into something to prove. I'm sure you guys have heard it. We lived by it, and we still do.

Although we had a good year last year and accomplished a few things, we still have to go out and prove it this year. For the guys that came back, for the team we have now, 2024 is all that matters. That's the record that's going to be talked about. These are the games that's going to be talked about. No one is going to talk about the Cotton Bowl versus Ohio State moving forward. It's in the past. It's in the history books.

We do. We have to go out and prove it every single week. No one's going to hand it to us. No one's going to give us any free handouts. Us, Mizzou, we have to go earn it, we have to go prove it.

Q. What was it like basically waiting your turn those two years? Is that something you planned on? I know how the roster was stacked, but that couldn't have been easy.

BRADY COOK: Yeah, it was tough. I don't know if I planned on it or not. I graduated early with the idea of let's go learn as much as possible and see if I can compete. I didn't know what college football was all about yet. I was still new.

I don't think I was disappointed in that, but it was definitely hard. That was the first time in my life that I've ever not played on my team. I've always been the starting quarterback, whether it's grade school, middle school, high school. I've always been that leader of the team.

So to sit back and have those two years of just kind of learning and being away from the in-game action, it was hard, but at the same time, I learned a ton. I was able to see different perspectives. I wasn't thrown into the fire too early.

Q. Following up on that, can you understand why Arch Manning is doing this consciously in getting his shot maybe next year?

BRADY COOK: Yeah, absolutely. I was able to room with Arch down at the Manning Passing Academy. So we had some great conversations, and I just love how he's handled everything. He's smart, man. He's a smart dude. He's a good dude. I think he's doing the right thing. He's learning so much from Quinn right now, and he's already so talented. He already has so much knowledge of the game.

His mentors, we don't even have to go through that list. So he's already so smart. He's in a great spot. For him to be able to learn from Quinn for another year, bounce ideas off of him, collaborate together and play together, that's huge for him.

Q. You mentioned how Cayden fit in with the locker room. What were your first impressions of him once you got out and got to see him in action, practice, spring ball, all that stuff?

BRADY COOK: Cayden Green?

Q. Yeah.

BRADY COOK: He fit right in. Got here in January. We start spring ball early. We start spring ball probably the third week of February.

First practice, he's out there doing everything, playing full speed, hitting pads. I'm giving him calls, he's not looking confused or hesitating. He's getting the call and getting lined up and doing what he needs to do.

I think it's just seamless with him. He got in, has a relationship with Membou, Mekhi Miller, a couple of guys previously which helped. He fits in great.

Q. It's been since 2014 that Missouri has played in College Station. Just what have you heard about the atmosphere at Kyle Field?

BRADY COOK: I heard Kyle Field gets pretty loud. I heard there's a lot of fans. I heard it gets rowdy, but I hear it's a great environment.

I'm excited. I get to play in a few different places that I haven't played yet this year. Obviously with the realignment and everything like that. Texas A&M being one of them.

I've heard a lot of great things. I've heard it's a hard place to play at. I'm sure it is, but I'm excited for it.

Q. I'm curious, Oklahoma and Texas coming into this league, I'm sure you have memories growing up and watching them. What's the feeling of getting to play Oklahoma at least in this season in the SEC?

BRADY COOK: I'm excited. I'm excited. When I think of Oklahoma, I think about the College GameDay game at Mizzou when fans rushed the field. We beat the No. 1 overall team. That's what I go back to in my mind because obviously that was a big memory for me as a fan.

I'm looking forward to this year's game. It's going to be fun. But like I said earlier, we have to go and prove it week to week. If we get to the Oklahoma game and we have a couple of losses on the schedule, that game won't feel quite as nice.

So we've got to go prove it week one, week two, week three, and we'll get to Oklahoma when it happens.

Q. Kind of a big picture question. You talked about Arch. We've got Garrett obviously in Baton Rouge, Carson, some quarterbacks are sticking around and getting their opportunity. Is that something that, with the success that you guys are having, maybe can change the narrative of needing to leave to play right away?

BRADY COOK: I think there's some merit to it. At least in my experience, in talking to some of those guys down at the Manning Academy, when you stick with a program and a team for a certain amount of time, you really become it, you embody it, you learn how everything works. You know every single person in the building.

I walk into our facility, I know every single person -- staff, lunch room, player, nutrition, fourth floor coaches. I know everybody. They're comfortable with me. I'm comfortable with them. As a quarterback, that helps me lead. I know everybody. I know how to lead everyone.

Whereas if you transferred somewhere and you're trying to just transfer for maybe one year, you transfer to a second team, that chemistry, there's just no way it can be the same. So I think there's some merit to it, and I think it gives me some confidence too.

Q. Marquis last year, breakout freshman season, up near 25, 30 yards a catch, but just kind of a catch a game. Part of it is that receiver room is still so talented. Is there anything he's done as a player this off-season or Kirby Moore as a play caller, to get him more touches or maybe more involved in the offense next fall?

BRADY COOK: Marquis is speedy, I think we all know that. He's probably the fastest guy on our team, and he's talented, man. To do what he did as a freshman last year in those big moments was impressive.

One thing that stuck out to me is he's gained weight. Like he's developed his body. That's something I noticed he always comes to me and he tells me, Brady, I gained weight, yada, yada, yada. I'm like, dude, let's go. We need that.

He's conscious. He's focused. He was talking to me two days ago, he's like, hey, fall camp, after practice let's rip balls, posts, shoot routes. He loves all the deep stuff. I mean, he's talented man. He's focused. Super impressive what he did as a freshman last year. So I'm excited to see him play.

Q. Auburn is making the trip to Missouri in October. Just the second time in program history they've played in Columbia. You were there for Auburn's win at home. Was it 2022? I believe when Auburn beat Missouri in the --

BRADY COOK: At Auburn?

Q. Yes, that one. Maybe a little payback, but also just your familiarity with the Auburn program and Hugh Freeze.

BRADY COOK: Definitely a little bit of payback. The one in '22, that stung. I still feel that one. Thanks for the reminder on that. No, I'm just kidding.

I haven't dove into Auburn prep or really taken a really good look at kind of their personnel, but I know they have a good program. I know they can win any given game they play. They haven't been this strong in the SEC for no reason. They can win every game they play, and it's going to be fun.

I'm excited that they're coming to our place this time. I enjoyed playing at Auburn last time. It's going to be a fun game, man. I'm excited.

Q. For those of us that have never had the pleasure of throwing the ball to one of the best players in the nation, what does it feel like to drop back and pass and know that Luther Burden is down there somewhere? What does that feel like?

BRADY COOK: It's great. As a quarterback, that's what you want. We're going on year three together right now. So our chemistry is at an all time high. We've worked really hard this off-season. We spent many times one-on-one working sessions, working little details. He's definitely growing. He continues to get better, and we're confident.

I think our duo is going to be fun to watch, fun to play as a quarterback. Yeah, like you said, he goes deep, and I can just put it in an area, and he makes a play on it. So Luther is a fun guy to have in that room.