The number of contenders for Missouri football’s quarterback competition have been cut in half.
No, Missouri football is not ready to name its starting quarterback for the 2025 season. That’s in line with head coach Eli Drinkwitz’s message at the beginning of spring ball, when the coach indicated the race would run into the fall.
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But, the Tigers, who started with four players in the race, are down to two options.
“It was clear to us after probably the first week-and-a-half of spring that the competition is between Beau (Pribula) and Sam (Horn),” Drinkwitz said Tuesday. “And those two guys will be the primary two pushing to be the starting quarterback.”
That, by all offseason assumptions about this competition, is not a surprise. Horn was a four-star recruit who backed up three-year starter Brady Cook until the two-sport, football and baseball athlete had to miss the 2024 campaign after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Pribula was among the Tigers’ marquee transfer portal acquisitions in the winter window.
If there were frontrunners before a pass had been thrown in spring camp, they were Pribula and Horn.
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That’s become more obvious in the month of April.
Drew Pyne, who filled in as a backup in his one season with the Tigers in 2024, has transferred to Bowling Green. Pyne’s up-and-down performances relieving Cook through various injuries in 2024 indicated that the Tigers were likely to turn elsewhere for a starter.
True freshman Matt Zollers, a four-star prospect with obvious upside as a passer, was likely to take some time to develop after missing the majority of his senior season of high school with a leg injury. Drinkwitz said Tuesday that “every bit of arm talent, natural leadership ability, athleticism, playmaking ability is there,” but the rookie QB is still likely to be a project for MU.
So, all those pre-spring presuppositions have materialized as the Tigers head into offseason workouts for approximately the next four months until reporting for fall camp.
Missouri Tigers quarterback Sam Horn (21) during pregame warmups of the Tigers game against the Arkansas Razorbacks Saturday on Nov. 25, 2022, in Columbia, Mo.
Pribula, by all accounts, is the widely perceived frontrunner. Transfers at quarterback are not cheap, and reports at the time of Pribula’s move from Penn State backup to Mizzou newcomer pinned his NIL valuation at about $1.5 million. Teams don’t throw around that type of money without at least some belief that the player will make an impact.
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So far, Drinkwitz appears to like what he has seen.
“Beau was every bit what we expected. And, in fact, I think he was a better passer than we had anticipated,” Drinkwitz said. … “I knew Bo would have a little bit of, you know, still learning the offense, but I was impressed with how much he’s already understanding it and knew it and grabbed a hold of it. Excellent leader, very dynamic with his feet. Sound, solid decision maker.”
Nov 2, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula (9) looks to throw a pass during a warmup prior to the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images
But Horn is no slouch of a contender.
Three years in the system, even if one was spent sidelined with injury, is valuable, as Drinkwitz mentioned. While rehabbing from his surgery, he was able to throw as the Tigers went through their bowl preparations.
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And, it’s worth remembering that at one time he was a prized recruit out of Georgia powerhouse Collins Hill High.
“We’re talking about a guy who led his team to the state championship in the state of Georgia,” Drinkwitz said. … “When I went and watched him play his high school game, he was the best player on the field, and (Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter) was on the field, too. But Sam Horn was the best player on the field, so he knows what it looks like and has that leadership and confidence, and I think he put that on display.
“And I think he’s a competitor, and he knows that Beau is here to be a starting quarterback, too. And those two guys have had a really good competition in the right kind of way.”
As was the case before spring camp began, Drinkwitz struck a philosophical note when discussing the timeline for a decision. It won’t be one day that sets either player apart, but rather a string of performances, actions and consistency that will “reveal” the starter.
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Mizzou isn’t in any rush.
So, the battle goes on.
“I told them, from this point on, everything’s judged,” Drinkwitz said. “How they approach walkthroughs, how they approach the team and the team meetings, how they handle themselves in workouts — all of it is going to help determine who becomes the next starting quarterback.”
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: What Missouri football coach Eli Drinkwitz said about QBs Pribula, Horn
