Both quarterbacks will play in Mizzou opener, Eli Drinkwitz says. Here’s why
As Mizzou football wrapped up practice Tuesday afternoon, head coach Eli Drinkwitz provided a timeline for the decision on the Tigers’ coveted QB1 spot.
Would it be the reported $1.5 million NIL signee and Penn State transfer Beau Pribula? Or would Drinkwitz turn to longtime Tigers QB Sam Horn in his first season recovered from Tommy John Surgery?
He told the reporters in that room that a decision would be made in 24 hours. And a decision has been made — just not a final decision on the matter.
“I informed the team this afternoon that both quarterbacks will play in the first game,” Drinkwitz said in an emailed statement. “I want to see them in a game-day situation to make a final determination.”
The two battling for the spot will now be splitting time in the Tigers’ season opener in Columbia when FCS Central Arkansas comes to town on Thursday, August 28. Throughout fall camp, Drinkwitz has maintained the same sentiment about the two — that there hasn’t been a clear answer.
“They’ve all done some really good things and some really dumb things. That’s kind of the quarterback position. Now it’s about seeing: Do they continually make that same mistake, or can they self-correct?” Drinkwitz said at one point during camp.
“There hasn’t really been any separation,” he said at another point.
Pribula entered the program after two seasons of backing up Drew Allar. In the opportunities Pribula was given, he went 37-for-56 for 424 yards through the air with nine touchdowns for the Nittany Lions. He also found significant success on the ground, rushing for 517 yards with 10 touchdowns on 94 carries in his career.
In Horn’s case, the experience has been more limited: He was, at one point, in a starting quarterback battle with Brady Cook in 2023, but didn’t get the spot. He missed all of 2024 to recover from Tommy John. In his college career, Horn has thrown just eight passes with three completions for 54 yards.
