Depending on who Barry Odom selects to run his Missouri offense, the head coach could be forced to find a new starting quarterback in the coming year.
Drew Lock confirmed Tuesday that he submitted paperwork to the NFL Draft Advisory Board, and that he was told he didn’t receive a first- or second-round grade from the group. Despite that, Lock said he may still leave Mizzou early for the April NFL draft, and flatly stated that who Odom brings in as offensive coordinator will play a significant role in his decision.
“They ended up telling me to come back to school,” Lock said according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I’m actually still considering [leaving early for the NFL] due to things I’ve heard otherwise. ...
“That’s why I’m waiting to make a decision to [see] what could I squeeze out of [the Tigers’ new coordinator]. What could I learn from him rather than jumping ahead and possibly missing the opportunity to learn from a great mind that may have been in the NFL and may have coached really good quarterbacks?”
UCLA’s Jedd Fisch, who served as the interim head coach for the Bruins’ bowl game Tuesday night, interviewed for the job earlier this month and is thought to be a front-runner for the position.
Odom is expected to make a decision on a new coordinator shortly after the first of the new year. Draft-eligible juniors/underclassmen like Lock have until the middle of January to officially file their draft paperwork with the NFL.
Lock currently leads the SEC and is 14th nationally in passing yards with 3,695. His 43 passing touchdowns are tops in the country.