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Columbia Daily Tribune
Missouri football wide receiver Mookie Cooper has season-, career-ending surgery
- Story byColumbia Daily Tribune
- Missouri football wide receiver Mookie Cooper has season-, career-ending surgery
Mookie Cooper's Missouri football career has ended after the four-year Tigers wide receiver underwent surgery Tuesday morning for an undisclosed injury, per a post to his Instagram story.
Later Tuesday during his weekly media availability, Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz confirmed that the surgery was season-ending and therefore, because this is Cooper's last year of eligibility, will end the wideout's college career.
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"Mookie is a very special player to us and to myself," Drinkwitz said. "Came here (as) a transfer, and again, one of those guys who came and chose Mizzou when we needed him the most, and his last real play of the year is going to be remembered as the one that sparked us to beat Auburn, and so got a ton of respect for Mookie, the way he goes about his business; his commitment to our team and unselfishness, and we're certainly going to miss him. Very proud of him."
COLUMBIA, MISSOURI - OCTOBER 19: Mookie Cooper #5 of the Missouri Tigers carries the ball after making a catch during the game against the Auburn Tigers at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on October 19, 2024 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Cooper, who spent a season at Ohio State after committing to the Buckeyes out of Trinity Catholic and Pattonville High in St. Louis, played 40 games for Mizzou between 2021-24. Over the course of those four years in Columbia, Cooper caught 91 passes for 1,174 yards and one touchdown, which came on a 60-yard reception in 2021 against South Carolina.
The wide receiver has missed each of the Tigers' past four games. His last catch as a Mizzou player was a memorable one, coming on a third-quarter, 78-yard catch-and-run against Auburn down to the goal line that sparked a late comeback with quarterback Brady Cook back in the game.
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"He's been nothing short of unbelievable as a teammate, as a player — he's so consistent. He's the same guy every single day. He has been every single day he's been in this building," Cook said. "And he's a leader. He's led that wide receiver room for a long time, whether he's second in yards, third in yards, fourth in yards, fifth yards, it doesn't matter. Doesn't matter to Mookie. Doesn't matter how many times he scores. You know, if it's a run play, he's gonna block his butt off. It's a pass play where he's the last read, he's gonna run his butt off. I'll always appreciate Mookie for what he's done for this program."
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While Cooper has been out with an injury, Missouri has mostly turned to sophomore wideout Joshua Manning to fill his reps.
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Missouri will hold its senior day ceremony Saturday against Arkansas ahead of its final game of the regular season.
Mizzou is expected to lose the three wide receivers listed as starters on its depth chart at the end of this season. Both Cooper and Theo Wease Jr. will exhaust their eligibility at the end of this year, and Luther Burden III is expected to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft as a first-round prospect at the end of his junior season.
The Tigers have a promising group of wide receivers in-house, as sophomores Marquis Johnson, Daniel Blood and Manning have each carved out roles as underclassmen. Backup slot receiver Mekhi Miller is expected to return next season, and true freshmen Courtney Crutchfield and James Madison II both were four-star commits.
Mizzou is expected to add top-100 national prospect Donovan Olugbode and Ironton, Ohio, product Shaun Terry at wide receiver its Class of 2025. The early national signing period for football opens Dec. 4.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Missouri football WR Mookie Cooper has season-, career-ending surgery
