最新杏吧原创

COLUMBIA, Mo. 鈥� Missouri wide receiver Mookie Cooper鈥檚 college career is likely over after undergoing season-ending surgery.

The fifth-year wideout posted Tuesday morning on Instagram that he鈥檇 completed a successful surgery, and Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz confirmed the implications of Cooper鈥檚 procedure later in the day.

鈥淥bviously, Mookie鈥檚 a very special player to us and to myself,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淐ame here (as) a transfer and again, one of those guys who came and chose Mizzou when we needed him the most.鈥�

Cooper, a starter when available this year, has missed Mizzou鈥檚 past four games with an undisclosed injury. He last played in MU鈥檚 homecoming victory against Auburn.

And his role in that game was memorable: Cooper took a pass 78 yards to set up Missouri鈥檚 first touchdown. That catch-and-run wound up being his final reception.

Cooper caught 12 passes for 235 yards this season. Though eligibility can be ambiguous in college football鈥檚 current moment, Cooper seems headed for the exits after five years on college rosters. If so, he鈥檒l conclude his college career with 92 receptions for 1,179 yards and a lone touchdown, scored against South Carolina in 2021.

Mizzou signed Cooper out of the transfer portal in 2021, after he鈥檇 spent his freshman season redshirting at Ohio State.

鈥淚 like that they are making STL a big priority in their recruitment, and I trusted Mizzou the most when it came to my decision,鈥� Cooper told the Post-Dispatch at the time about his decision to transfer to his home-state school.

鈥�(Cooper) comes back home, and he鈥檚 been nothing short of unbelievable as a teammate, as a player,鈥� quarterback Brady Cook said.

Cooper hails from 最新杏吧原创 and played his high school football at Trinity Catholic. He caught a 23-yard touchdown in Trinity鈥檚 2018 Class 3 state championship game win over Cardinal Ritter.

Missouri has now lost five players to season-ending surgeries at various points in 2024: Cooper, edge rusher Darris Smith, outside linebacker Khalil Jacobs, defensive end Joe Moore III and center Connor Tollison.

Burden among 27 senior day participants

As the final home game of the season, Mizzou鈥檚 Saturday game against Arkansas will be the Tigers鈥� senior day. The program will honor players expected to be participating in their final games before the contest, and if MU wins, those players will follow tradition in picking a rock from Memorial Stadium鈥檚 rock M to commemorate their contributions.

鈥淚t鈥檚 a proud group, very resilient group, a strong group, tough, committed, determined group,鈥� Drinkwitz said of the seniors. 鈥淚 look forward to sending them out at a sold-out Faurot Field that they worked very hard to make our fans so proud that they鈥檙e here for the 12th ... straight sellout.鈥�

There will be 27 players honored as part of senior day, Drinkwitz said.

Wide receiver Luther Burden III will be among them.

He鈥檚 a junior, wrapping up his third season of college football. But the star wideout is eligible to enter the NFL as soon as next year鈥檚 draft if he chooses, and he remains a projected first-round pick in 2025.

The operating assumption for Missouri and Burden has been that this year is his final in the college ranks and that he鈥檒l declare for the draft early.

鈥淚 have had conversations with Luther,鈥� Drinkwitz said. 鈥淲e are in those conversations. I鈥檓 never going to steal anybody鈥檚 thunder or spotlight.鈥�

That would seemingly be a way of suggesting that some sort of announcement from Burden will follow the close of his 2024 season.

鈥淏ut I would just say that we鈥檙e very fortunate for Luther to have been here for three seasons,鈥� Drinkwitz continued. 鈥淗e will walk on Saturday. No decisions have been made, but that is an opportunity for him to make a decision without thinking that he didn鈥檛 get a chance to say goodbye to the fans.鈥�

Some of the 27 players in Saturday鈥檚 ceremony may, like Burden, participate despite having another year of eligibility. Drinkwitz and MU tend to lean toward letting more players walk to ensure that each gets his moment in case final years of eligibility aren鈥檛 used.

With that in mind, the list of 27 participants will include, in alphabetical order:

Punter Luke Bauer, quarterback J.R. Blood, offensive lineman Marcus Bryant, Burden, running back Marcus Carroll, safety Joseph Charleston, cornerback Marcus Clarke, Cook, Cooper, linebacker Corey Flagg Jr., long snapper Trey Flint, center Drake Heismeyer, linebacker Chuck Hicks, offensive lineman Cam鈥橰on Johnson, safety Tre鈥橵ez Johnson, running back Chris Kreh, linebacker Jack Meyer, Moore, linebacker Triston Newson, running back Nate Noel, linebacker Will Norris, tight end Tyler Stephens, defensive end Johnny Walker Jr., offensive lineman Mitchell Walters, wide receiver Theo Wease Jr., defensive tackle Kristian Williams and safety Sidney Williams.