Connor Cook gave Michigan State coaches and fans something to smile about on Friday when he announced on The Dan Patrick Show that intended to return for his senior year.
Connor Cook said it on “The Dan Patrick Show” on Thursday morning and again after practice in the evening — the Michigan State junior quarterback intends to return to school for his senior season.
“That’s the main goal,” Cook said Thursday. “I’ve always talked about it with my parents and stuff, and you want to use up your eligibility. Michigan State’s a great place, and I’ve had a lot of fun here and I had a lot of great relationships. You never want to kiss stuff good-bye. I looked at it the same way as graduating high school early to come to school. You only have one prom, you only go to high school once, you only go to college once is how I look at it. But things could change if, you know, things go really well. I don’t know. But my goal, my main priority is to use up my years here at Michigan State.”
Some NFL analysts project Cook as a potential first-round pick in the next draft, but late in the ABC telecast of MSU’s 35-11 win over Michigan, draft analyst Todd McShay was emphatic that Cook needs another season in college.
“I think he has a high ceiling,” McShay said of Cook. “I think he can become a very good NFL quarterback. … I would say this to Connor Cook: You need another year. He’s come a long way from a year ago. There’s a reason why statistics back up underclassmen struggling when they leave early. He can be a good quarterback at the next level, but I think he needs one more year. Come back to Michigan State, there’s a good supporting cast, this is the right place for him to be next season.”
Cook has been a popular name among scouts whose stock has been on the rise this season. There has even been talk that Cook could hear his name called within the top 20 picks in April, so it’s a bit surprising to see him come out say he is returning to school. Needless to say this is huge news for Michigan State in 2015, expect to see them ranked in the top 10 preseason.