After Connor Cook's 398 yards and four touchdowns led Michigan State to an otherwise uninspiring 52-26 victory over Indiana on Saturday, it left many wondering whether the Spartans quarterback belonged in this season's Heisman Trophy conversation.
But while college pundits just now find themselves debating the merits of a Cook campaign, conversations about the Michigan State signal-caller's future at the next level have already existed for quite some time.
There may not be a more polarizing prospect in the 2016 NFL draft—at least as far as quarterbacks are concerned—than Cook, who seemingly has all the physical tools of being a franchise player at the sport's most important position. At 6'4" and 220 pounds, the Hinckley, Ohio, native certainly possesses the size of a prototypical professional passer and a three-year resume that proves he could ace more than just the looks test in the NFL.
"He's the kind of guy, with his size and his arm, he can make all the throws," ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said during a conference call following the 2014 season, after Cook announced his intentions of returning to East Lansing for his senior year. "He can beat you from the pocket very effectively.
"He has a chance to be the first or second quarterback off the board next year."
Through the first eight games of the 2015 season, Cook has already lived up to those expectations and then some while leading Michigan State to an 8-0 record and a No. 6 ranking in the most recent AP Top 25 poll following the Spartans' victory over the Hoosiers on Saturday. The senior signal-caller leads the Big Ten in passing yards (2,020) and touchdown passes (17), and he ranks third in the conference in quarterback rating (146.5), all while having thrown just two interceptions heading into MSU's bye week.
But while Cook has looked the part of high first-round pick statistically, questions about his intangibles have persisted. Particularly after the Spartans quarterback was suspiciously not voted a captain by teammates prior to the start of his senior season, despite being the face of the Michigan State offense for the past three years.
"I for sure want to be captain, but it's not gonna limit me from leading," Cook said in September after it was revealed that defensive end Shilique Calhoun, offensive lineman Jack Allen and linebacker Darien Harris would serve as the Spartans captains this season. "I think for the position that I'm in, being a quarterback here, that's already assumed."
Teammates have backed up that sentiment, insisting that while he may not hold the official title of captain, doing so would be more of a formality for Cook than anything else.
"I would say that Connor is a captain," Calhoun said, per MLive.com. "It's not always about the title with us, it's about going out there and performing and trying to help your team and I think Connor has done that and I think he'll keep doing that."
While his fellow Spartans have downplayed Cook not being one of Michigan State's captains, it's hard to imagine NFL scouts and executives won't raise their eyebrows when it comes to his omission, even as Spartans head coach Mark Dantonio has remained steadfast in selecting just three captains each season. If a quarterback can't be trusted to be a captain of his college team, how can he do the same in the pros, where even more of a premium is placed on leadership at the position?
That—as well as questions about his accuracy—seems to be one of the biggest reasons why opinions on Cook still appear to be split.
In his latest mock draft released on Oct. 5, Bleacher Report NFL Draft Lead Writer Matt Miller projected Cook to be an early second-round pick and the third quarterback to be picked in the draft behind California's Jared Goff and Penn State's Christian Hackenberg. ESPN's Todd McShay, meanwhile, slotted Cook as the No. 2 overall pick in his way-too-early mock draft for 2016 released last May.
With the way he's been playing lately, Cook could be coming closer to living up to McShay's lofty expectation.
In the three games played since Miller released his last mock draft, which followed consecutive weeks of throwing for fewer than 200 yards against Central Michigan and Purdue, Cook has shined statistically, throwing for 300 or more yards in games against Rutgers, Michigan and Indiana. In that span, the former 247Sports 3-star prospect has tallied 1,093 yards, seven touchdowns, a quarterback rating of 141.7 and just one interception, despite facing the Wolverines' top-ranked defense.
But perhaps more impressive, at least as far as the perception of Cook's intangibles are concerned, has been that aside from Jalen Watts-Jackson's improbable touchdown return to secure the Spartans' victory over Michigan a week ago, Michigan State's quarterback has been the biggest reason why it has remained undefeated and in the thick of the College Football Playoff hunt this season. While the Spartans defense has ranked 37th nationally and MSU's offensive line has remained makeshift due to a plethora of injuries, Cook has been nothing short of spectacular for the better part of the past month.
And if any concerns about his leadership have persisted, they were quieted on Saturday, when Cook helped turn what entered the fourth quarter as a five-point game into a Michigan State blowout.
"He's a gamer. He's able to put the ball right on the money," Dantonio said of Cook following the Spartans' win over Indiana. "He's got that 'X-factor' a little bit. The biggest thing I can tell you is when there's something that goes wrong, he gets sacked or he doesn't make the throw, he's able to bounce back and make the plays and make the throws. I think that's a credit to him."
With four games left in the regular season—including a highly anticipated Nov. 21 date with Ohio State—and whatever type of postseason Michigan State takes part in after that, a lot can change between now and when Cook begins to take part in the draft process.
But it's not hard to see that the Spartans signal-caller is on an upward trajectory, which could ultimately lead to Cook hearing his name called sooner rather than later next spring.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten lead writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Odds provided by Odds Shark. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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