������Ƶ

For four days each summer, the heartbeat of college football thumps in the heat of Thibodaux, Louisiana.

The Manning family hosts an annual camp for quarterbacks — dozens of college QBs are the counselors, while high-school signal-callers are the campers. The Manning Passing Academy is in its 28th year at Nicholls State University — and they’re all there, from Archie and Peyton to Eli and Cooper to Cooper’s son, current Texas QB Arch Manning. Oh, and Arch’s roommate at camp? Mizzou quarterback Brady Cook, the ������Ƶ native and potential Heisman candidate this fall. Cook spoke to the Post-Dispatch by phone Friday and shared insight, camp anecdotes and even what tip Peyton Manning gave him.

Q: It’s now your second summer at the Manning Passing Academy. Why do you enjoy it?

Cook: I think there are really three parts to it. First of all, the bonding with other college quarterbacks, it’s pretty unique. You don’t get a lot of opportunities to spend so much time with high-level quarterbacks — I think there are 45 starting college quarterbacks here this year.

And then, the throwing sessions with the Mannings. We throw every day with the Mannings, so taking pieces from them and just spending time with them outside of the throwing sessions, picking their brains.

And then, the third part is really spending time with all these kids. There are 1,300 kids here this week. I’m running drills the whole week, trying to touch as many kids as possible, giving them just a couple of things that they can take home with them and take away from (the camp). So those three things are really most-important this week for me.

Q: Can you share what it’s like interacting with the Mannings?

Cook: I mean, Cooper’s kind of like the class clown — he’s always making jokes, kind of the life of the party in our staff meetings. He’s just that guy at the camp. Eli’s pretty calm, he does his thing — and he’s there for advice and taking us through drills. And then Peyton? He’s the leader. He loves taking us through stuff, getting gritty.

And then Archie is awesome. I mean, he’s run this camp for so long, and he makes sure to tell us the history of it and why it’s so important. He cares. One thing about Archie is, he’ll text us after every game we play (during the season). He texts all the guys that come through the camp. So that sticks out.

Q: With Peyton specifically, what’s your interaction been?

Cook: We spend the whole four days with them, basically. There are moments where it’s just (me and Peyton) maybe outside of the staff room. There are moments where he’s got a small group and is taking us through drills on the field. There are moments where he talks to all the college guys and all of the coaches that come in, just Q&A sessions and stuff like that. So it’s cool learning from these guys, asking them questions.

Q: Is there a certain thing Peyton has taught you this summer?

Cook: One thing I asked him about yesterday was just play-action fakes. When I have to turn my back to the defense and then snap my eyes back down the field and make a throw. So (I asked) — what are you keying on? You have to take your eyes off the defense and then you’ve got to snap your eyes back and see that picture quickly. And one thing he said — if it’s a zone play, where you’ve got zone-type routes, intermediate, throw that first read until they take it away. And then if it’s a top-down, flood-type read, pre-snap you need to have your key on somebody, probably the high-near safety. And as soon as you snap your eyes back, you need to find him immediately and make your decision.

Q: Of the college QBs, who are some of your buddies there?

Cook: I’ve gotten a chance to bond with a lot of them. Riley Leonard (of Notre Dame) is my guy, Will Howard (of Ohio State) is my guy. Graham Mertz from Florida, we spent a lot of time talking last night. Drew Pyne (previously at Notre Dame and Arizona State), obviously he’s at Missouri now, so he’s here with me. It’s a great group of guys — Garrett Greene from West Virginia, Arch Manning, I’m rooming with him this week. So it’s awesome. A great group of guys and we’re just having a ball.

Q: With Pyne, what can you share about what he’ll bring to the Mizzou program?

Cook: It’s been a great fit so far. First of all, he’s a great guy. And he can spin it, too. So having another guy in the room that I can learn from and bounce things off of, it’s huge for me. It’s huge for the team.

Q: After winning the Sugar Bowl, this 2024 Mizzou season should be exciting. Can you put into words your mindset?

Cook: I think the standard and expectation is higher than it’s ever been, which is good. That’s where we want it. We want it to be high, we want to exceed it. So I’m excited, man. The team is shaping up, the spring and summer has gone really smooth. Everyone’s understanding their role, fitting in where they need to. We’re going into training camp pretty pumped up.

Q: Last question, what’s your communication been like with Luther Burden III?

Cook: Oh yeah, we talk every day. Being the No. 1 wide receiver, we spend a lot of time together. So whether it’s in person, FaceTime, text, call, we’re in touch, we’re in communication. Our synergy has only grown.

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It's finally all coming together for Boston Red Sox pitcher Tanner Houck.

At the season's halfway point, the Collinsville native is one of the best starting pitchers in baseball.

A first-round draft pick out of Mizzou in 2017, Houck has been up and down, showing flashes of his potential while struggling with injuries and bouts of ineffectiveness.

The right-hander who turns 28 years old Saturday is likely to make his first All-Star Game, and he's a strong candidate to start for the American League.

Not bad for a guy who had to in spring training.

But while others may be looking forward to the All-Star Game, Houck is thinking of breakfast.

"That would definitely be a cool thing,"��Houck said to about a potential All-Star spot. "But going back to what I said earlier, one day at a time,��… one goal at a time, each day. I always used to joke with Charlie Madden, our bullpen coach, who I play catch with every day, I would say, 'We're stacking days like pancakes.' How many can you put on your plate for 162 games?

"I like food. I like to eat."

Houck is taking what was once a short stack and building toward a full stack.

He's 7-5 with a 2.18 ERA, but that's just scratching the surface of the American League ERA leader's domination.

• His 3.6 wins above replacement value, per Fangraphs, is far and away the best among big-league pitchers.
• He's allowed just two home runs while facing 416 batters and throwing 1,540 pitches.
• He leads baseball in opponent's OPS (.528).
• He's struck out more than five times as many batters as he's walked.
• He's tied for the MLB lead with 13 quality starts.

And he's done by keeping his focus on pancakes and details.

“It’s the stuff fans don’t get to see, the stuff leading up to starts,” Houck said, according to . “It’s showing up each and every day and doing the little things that matter. I’ve been preaching it the whole year. It’s not the funnest, it’s not the most glamorous but at the same time, it’s what gets results. It’s about going out there and pushing yourself each day to try to get better with everything that you’re working on. It’s really about going out each day and bettering yourself."

In 2022, ended his season early. Last season, as Houck was settling into the Red Sox starting rotation, his momentum was again derailed when he was struck in the face with a line drive that kept him out two months.

“Last year, I think he was about to take off halfway through the season and he got hit. He was throwing the ball well. Really well,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, according to . “He finished strong. The offseason was a regular one. I do believe people forgot he had back surgery the year before. He’s strong. The way he moves and the athlete that he is, I’m not worried about the workload because I think he can handle it. And we’re very proud of him.”

His slider ranks as baseball's best, and he throws it 42% of the time. He has also increased the usage of his split-finger fastball. Batters are hitting below .200 against both of those pitches.

He with helping him change the grip on the split-finger, leading to a big jump in effectiveness.

"I think my splitter is better than it's ever been, so I feel more comfortable throwing it any count, where in the past maybe I'd throw a fastball," Houck .

Houck starts Saturday afternoon, on his birthday, as the Red Sox host San Diego.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Sean East II will get his shot.��

The former Missouri point guard has signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the Los Angeles Lakers, presenting him with a pathway to land in the NBA.

East went unselected during this week's NBA Draft but quickly signed with the Lakers afterward. The Exhibit 10 contract means East's deal can easily be converted into a two-way agreement that would place East with the Lakers' G-League affiliate.

Appearing in that developmental league seems like the likely step for East, who would seemingly be a strong candidate for the Lakers' Summer League roster as well.

East follows in the footsteps of D'Moi Hodge, his teammate at Mizzou for one season, in joining the Lakers. Former MU star Kobe Brown also wound up in Los Angeles, but with the Clippers.

During his final season with the Tigers, East averaged 16.7 points, 4 assists and 3.5 rebounds while remaining efficient by shooting 52.1% from the field, 45% from 3-point range and 85.6% from the free-throw line.

His composure, crafty creation ability and leadership seemed to stand out through pre-draft showcases, leading to an invite to the G-League's combine.��

There’s a new task force huddling up in the Missouri athletics department. Charged with developing a “modern Mizzou model,” the “3M task force” has assembled to tackle what changes might be necessary as revenue sharing arrives in the college sports universe.

That cloudy topic, along with plans for the renovation of Memorial Stadium’s north concourse, were among the main themes of a Thursday University of Missouri System Board of Curators meeting that included a presentation from Mizzou athletics director Laird Veatch on his first eight weeks on the job.

The House settlement — the result of a legal process that will permit schools to share revenue directly with athletes — seemed to be a key point of interest for MU administration.

“While I’ve really tried to emphasize to our staff and coaches that we need to stay focused on the current programs, the current year, the competitive season, the academic support of our student-athletes,” Veatch told the board. “It will unquestionably require a lot of attention and detail in the months ahead.”

But he spent most of his six-minute remarks talking about the stadium project and ongoing fundraising efforts.

Mizzou has secured 10 seven-figure commitments toward the $250 million renovation, which is expected to be half-funded by donations, Veatch said. An anonymous $50 million contribution kick-started the pool of money that will go toward the project, but sourcing dozens of millions more in funding has been an immediate priority for Veatch.

He has met with 70 donors already, he said, also telling the board that the athletics department has sold nearly all of the mezzanine-level suites that will be part of a new-look Memorial Stadium north concourse as well as half of the future field-level suites.

Tethered to fundraising for the stadium, curators voted to name three Memorial Stadium gates after donors who have pledged $1 million toward the facility’s north concourse renovation. The three donors and families who will be recognized on the gates had previously made significant donations before backing the latest project.

Veatch also announced that MU has chosen Kansas City-based construction firm Whiting-Turner as its construction manager at risk for the Memorial Stadium north concourse renovations. The firm is assisting with cost estimations, scheduling and procurement strategies, per meeting documents.

As part of that process, Mizzou identified a need for an “enabling project” to “order materials (and equipment) for the project with longer lead times for targeted occupancy in the fall 2026 football.”

Curators greenlit up to $9.5 million in spending to secure those supplies in advance to keep the renovation on pace.

They also approved the inclusion of Memorial Stadium renovations as a priority — alongside other academic and research facilities — for upcoming state appropriations requests, which could lead to $100 million in state funding going toward the project. The list of priorities “authorizes (UM System President Mun Choi) to work with state officials on obtaining capital funding,” according to a meeting document.

That money will be factored into the overall budget for renovations and come from the same funding sources, according to a request for the enabling project included in meeting materials.

“Here in the next few months, we will be finalizing our funding plan, we’ll be moving forward with all of our fundraising efforts,” Veatch said. “Now that I’ve made my way around the state, I will be able to assist our development team as we continue to secure more support for the project.”

The overhaul of the north end zone will involve the construction of premium seating on that end of the stadium — though the famous rock M and part of the grass hill will remain.

In other administrative business, the board voted to maintain its current composition of the Mizzou Intercollegiate Athletics Special Committee, which has the power to oversee the MU athletics department. ������Ƶ attorney Bob Blitz will remain the group’s chair, with Todd Graves, Jeff Layman and Robin Wenneker rounding out the committee.

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Bring your Tigers football, basketball and recruiting questions, and talk to Eli Hoff in a live chat at 11 a.m. Thursday.

Transcript

Eli Hoff:��Morning, all! Thanks for stopping by another Mizzou chat. We'll take your questions and takes for the next couple of hours.

Russ:��Good morning, Eli. Have you heard any feedback on what the players think or saying about the new DC, Corey Batoon?

Hoff:��I haven't asked them about Coach Batoon recently, but back in spring ball, he got a lot of compliments. Players agreed that he's pretty laid back (he is Hawaiian, after all) but relentless when it comes to details. “A cool dude,” linebacker Chuck Hicks called him during spring ball. “He takes it a little more laid back, he’s going to talk to you a little bit differently. But get on the field with him, he wants the best from you. He’s pushing you, he’s running behind you on the field.”

That quote's from this February story, which I'll resurrect since it's relevant.

Tiger Warrior:��I wish Brady Cook, Cody Schrader, and Luther Burden III, the three musketeers of Mizzou Tigers offense, the best. They're all from our town joining my team from college football. Who's your favorite player?

Hoff:��I don't have favorite players on the teams I cover. It's my job not to have that and to write independently and work to maintain an objective view of Mizzou sports. Schrader and Darius Robinson stood out last season as great guys to talk to, so they were helpful from a media standpoint.

But let me spin this one to y'all with a little poll... (Poll appears in chat.)

Tiger��Warrior:��Will Mizzou Tigers football quarterback Brady Cook be able to play in his first game against the Murray State Racers?

Hoff:��I haven't seen or heard anything to the contrary. He's QB1. The only thing that would get in the way of him starting for the opener would be health — but again, I am not aware of any concerns on that front. He was healthy throughout spring practice, too.

bigron:��How much playiing time do you expect the big freshmen to get on the mens Bball team this season?

Hoff:��At least some. I know that's vague, but it's so hard to predict right now what this team's actually going to look like, with 1/3 returners, 1/3 transfers and 1/3 freshmen. I think the centers (Marshall and Burns) have the best chance of getting playing time, since Josh Gray is the only other true center on the roster. Might there be times where Mizzou goes smaller without a typical No. 5? Sure, but the freshmen have a real chance there. And then Annor Boateng has the most talent of the freshmen, it seems, so you'd have to think he will be able to push for a spot in the rotation too.

CoMo Tiger:��Will you be covering today's Board of Curators meeting? There is a presentation on athletics scheduled.

Hoff:��Yep! The board is currently in executive session but expected to come back around 1:15. I'll have a story on it later today and in tomorrow's paper. There should be some nuggets on the Memorial Stadium project and potentially more. We'll see what comes up.

Hoff:��That's where we'll wrap up the chat today. Thanks for coming by. There won't be a Mizzou chat next week, with July 4 falling on a Thursday. See you July 11!

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — Welcome to the dog days of football recruiting.

Recruiting classes for 2025 are, depending on your philosophy, hovering around half-full or half-empty. Official visits have wrapped up, and verbal commitments are still flowing for Missouri.

Coach Eli Drinkwitz picked up two more commits around another weekend of official visits to Columbia.

Wide receiver Shaun Terry committed to Mizzou a couple of weeks after taking his visit to the school. The three-star wideout from Ironton, Ohio, visited Michigan after his weekend with the Tigers but chose black and gold not long after.

Terry was verbally committed to Notre Dame until the start of June, which kicked off interest in Missouri. He’s considered one of the top 20 recruits in Ohio by most recruiting services.

His high school highlights show a distinct ability to pick up yards after the catch, with a handful of screen plays and short passes turning into broken tackles and long gains.

Cornerback Mark Manfred also verbally committed to MU after an official visit. The three-star recruit made the Tigers the last stop on his swing of visits and committed almost immediately thereafter.

Manfred also took official visits to Mississippi, Miami and Cincinnati.

Hailing from Marietta, Georgia, Manfred stands 6-foot-3, bringing some size to the secondary. He has also played wide receiver in high school.

Their commitments bring Missouri’s 2025 haul to 12 recruits. Recruiting services’ rating for that crop vary from On3, which puts the Tigers’ 2025 class at No. 17 in the country, to , which has MU sitting 26th.

Missouri sits ninth in the Southeastern Conference, according to both On3 and , though, trailing Tennessee and Texas but ahead of programs like South Carolina and Ole Miss.

Those rankings remain heavily influenced by the quantity of commitments, though. Alabama leads ’s tally, for example, with 18 recruits on tap for 2025.

Mizzou could round out its flock of wideouts for the next recruiting class in the coming days. CBC wide receiver Corey Simms, a four-star prospect who landed on the Post-Dispatch All-Metro second team last season, is set to announce his commitment on Sunday.

Simms has Missouri, Ole Miss, Southern California and Nebraska in his final four schools.

Jayvan Boggs, a four-star from Cocoa, Florida, is another wide receiver on the Tigers’ radar. He made Mizzou his final official visit of the summer after stops at Georgia, Southern California and Central Florida.

Quarterback Matt Zollers, who previously committed to Missouri, has pushed on social media for Boggs to pick the Tigers. Boggs plans to make his commitment July 4.

All commitments are unofficial until Dec. 4, which is when recruits can sign letters of intent to lock in their school choices.

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COLUMBIA, Mo. — The intersection of Missouri's name, image, likeness operation and grocery store cuisine is expanding.

Every True Tiger Brands, the NIL marketing agency tied to Mizzou, is rolling out two flavors of cookies that feature MU football players on their packaging.

The cookies will be a limited run designed to commemorate the Tigers' breakout 2023 football season that ended with a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State. The collectors' edition boxes list scores and superlatives from that season, as well as Missouri's 2024 schedule.

When placed together, the boxes for each flavor form the Cotton Bowl trophy in the middle.��

Several ������Ƶ-area Mizzou players are featured on the boxes: wide receiver Luther Burden III, quarterback Brady Cook, tight end Brett Norfleet and wide receiver Mookie Cooper.

Offensive linemen Armand Membou, Connor Tollison and Oklahoma transfer Cayden Green are also on the boxes.

The oatmeal raisin and chocolate-creme cookies will be carried in all Missouri Schnucks locations, as well as stores on the Illinois side of the ������Ƶ metro area.

Every True Tiger Brands' previous food ventures have included "Tiger Tracks" ice cream and several pizza varieties. The program is also developing coffee and candy lines that are expected to hit grocery store shelves in the coming months.

Some of Mizzou athletes' most prominent NIL deals have dealt with food products. Cook and Burden have both appeared in advertisements for Imo's Pizza, and Old Vienna sells two flavors of Burden-branded potato chips.��

Every True Tiger's structure as a marketing agency — a twist on the typical NIL collective — has been unique in college sports but could wind up becoming the norm in the revenue-sharing era.

"You’re going to see a lot of continued innovation and restructuring of how NIL is managed at schools across the country,” MU athletics director Laird Veatch told the Post-Dispatch. “I think the Mizzou model is a model that many will end up trying to duplicate or reflect in some way, shape or form — because it is kind of the beginning of that institutional NIL in how it’s structured, how it operates.”