Mizzou football adds punter via portal; Drew Pyne to Bowling Green, per report
Missouri football filled a gap in its scarce specialist room Monday with the addition of transfer punter John Butcher as a preferred walk-on, Butcher announced on X.
Butcher makes the move from Grossmont College in El Cajon, California. The sophomore averaged 39 yards per punt across 10 games last season.
Twenty-two of his 71 punts landed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line, and his longest of the campaign and his career was a 79-yarder in a 44-3 loss to Palomar on Oct. 5.
Butcher averaged 34.6 yards per punt in nine games as a freshman. Eleven of his 43 punts landed inside the 20.
Butcher joins Stanford transfer Connor Wesselman as the only punters on Mizzou’s roster. Luke Bauer, Orion Phillips and Will Safris transferred out.
Drew Pyne finds fourth school
Former Mizzou quarterback Drew Pyne is reportedly transferring to Bowling Green, per ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
The graduate has two years of eligibility remaining due to a mix of an extra COVID year, a redshirt season and a medical redshirt during his 2023 season at Arizona State.
The Tigers’ backup signal-caller had his fair share of time in the spotlight during the 2024 season. In his lone year with Mizzou, Pyne appeared in five games, most notably relieving three-year starter Brady Cook in contests versus Auburn, Alabama and Oklahoma as Cook dealt with hand and ankle injuries.
Pyne has a shot as Bowling Green’s next starter. Quarterback Justin Lamson transferred to Montana State soon after coach Scot Loeffler left BGSU to become the Philadelphia Eagles’ quarterbacks coach Feb. 25.
Pyne spent three seasons at Notre Dame and one at Arizona State. The 5-foot-11, 200-pounder QB stepped into the backup slot for the Tigers after Sam Horn underwent Tommy John surgery, missing the 2024 season.
With Pyne’s departure, the Tigers’ 2025 quarterback battle appears to be down to Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and Horn. Freshman Matt Zollers is recovering from a broken ankle suffered during his senior season at Spring-Ford (Pennsylvania) High School.
Mizzou also has the option of adding another QB through the transfer portal before it closes April 25.
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