Drew Lock is Mizzou's future. When does the future start?

Drew Lock (6'4, 205, Fr.)

Jack: Lock is going to be a star at Missouri, but not this year. The most interesting thing we’ll find out regarding him in 2015 will be whether or not Pinkel decides to redshirt him or not. Gary tends to be a bit of a pyromaniac when it comes to the redshirts of highly-touted quarterbacks, so it wouldn’t surprise me to see Drew spell Mauk for a series or two every now and then.

The Beef: I will go the other way and say it would absolutely shock me if Drew saw the field simply to spell Mauk for a series or two every now and again. First off, with Mauk as only a junior, I don’t think it to be at all within Coach Pinkel’s personality to give snaps to a true frosh over top of the starter. If Mauk were a senior, and if Lock were to win the No. 2 job in camp -- certainly possible, but not at all a given considering this is Eddie Printz’s third year in the system -- then maybe I could see it.

But I remain in the camp of someone who would be shocked to see Lock supplant a sitting senior quarterback next season (provided health and team performance are what we expect to see this year). If Mizzou goes 9-4, and Mauk has a solid year, I just don’t see GP making a move to replace a senior who is 23-8 and has thrown for 6,500-7,000 yards, 60+ TD’s and a 2:1 TD:Int ratio.

Don’t get me wrong, I agree that Lock has a very high chance of being a star, but I think he sees the field in a Chase Daniel, 2005 style next year before taking over full in 2017.

switzy227: This is the QB I want to see the least of this season. Let him learn, train, condition, work on everything. Let him come in hungry for 2016 and actually compete for the starting job. That will be the season to give him some series and groom him for the role, if he truly is the next guy in line.

Kacc56: Lock won't see the field this year, and that's a good thing. Many are anointing him as the future of the position, and there's reason to believe he could be. By the time he's a third-year sophomore he'll be fighting for the starting job (with a good shot at it), and it should be a fun battle. The raw talent looks to be there, and two years of practice can do wonders for a player.

jaeger: Maty’s not leaving early, so there’s no need to make a decision about his successor this year. Let Drew come along slowly, and we’ll have a serious barn-burner of a backup QB competition next year. Side note: I can’t wait for Maty’s first incompletion of the year, because that’ll be the first time I hear the same idiots who wanted to start frosh Maty over James Franklin make the same statement that frosh Lock should start over Maty. It’s the circle of moron football fan life.

Fullback U.: The only times Pinkel has ever burned a freshman’s redshirt were Blaine Gabbert's during Chase Daniel's final season and James Franklin’s when it was quite clear Gabbert was headed to the NFL. For a coach who quite clearly values seniority and experience as often as he can -- just look at Matt White and Ian Simon on the defensive side of the ball -- it would be a huge shift in philosophy for us to see Drew Lock come in as a true freshman and leapfrog several talented players with years of experience.

But hey, if that happens, it would be an incredible testament to Lock’s ability, maturity and the coach’s confidence in him.

Drew Lock practicing quick passes pic.twitter.com/3Unsr2a03q

— Rock M Nation (@rockmnation) August 7, 2015

Bill C.: What needed to be said has already been said: Pinkel does the "freshman protege gets a series or two" thing, but only when the starter is on his way out of the door. Unless Lock simply surpasses Mauk in terms of performance in fall camp (which, let's face it, would be an amazing accomplishment), or unless Mauk gets hurt and Lock has surpassed not only Corbin Berkstresser and Marvin Zanders, but also Eddie Printz, he is redshirting this year. Playing him when he might not start until 2017 would be ... odd.