Mizzou Tigers football down to 3 quarterbacks as redshirt junior intends to transfer
The Missouri Tigers have a clearer picture of who will start at quarterback in the season opener as the competition slimmed down from three challengers to two.
Redshirt junior quarterback Taylor Powell told the team he intends to leave the program, a team spokesperson confirmed to The Star. That ends a three-year stint with the team as Powell was fighting for the starting gig this training camp in MU coach Eliah Drinkwitz’s first season with the program.
Powell finishes his Mizzou career 35 for 76 passing with 431 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He played in 12 games from 2018-19, including one start, and was Kelly Bryant’s backup last season.
That leaves two quarterbacks — redshirt junior Shawn Robinson and redshrit freshman Connor Bazelak — still in the mix for the starting job. Robinson was the projected starter going into camp, while Bazelak has shown flashes of talent that led to him being a highly-ranked recruit coming out of high school.
Mizzou is also down to three scholarship quarterbacks on the roster, with true freshman Brady Cook rounding out the positional group.
While Powell hoped to fight to be QB1 in Drinkwitz’s offense, he’s struggled throughout his career. He saw extended snaps in his first and lone career start at Georgia, only for the Tigers to be shut out. Powell took over in the Arkansas game after Bazelak suffered an injury. Powell was able to lead the Tigers to victory to snap a five-game losing streak, but displayed more game manager-like tendencies than playmaker.
Powell, from Fayetteville, Arkansas, will have two years of eligibility remaining. The NCAA approved a blanket waiver for fall athletes this year, effectively freezing eligibility.