Something feels off in Columbia this summer. Missouri college football is no longer controlling the narrative by surprise, following their 10-win season in 2024. SEC media, fans, and even their rivals are keeping an eye on things, demanding that head coach Eli Drinkwitz build on that momentum. But if you believe the Tigers are coasting into 2025, think twice. A week into fall camp, things are already a little more complicated than anticipated, particularly at the most crucial position on the field.
Going into the offseason, there was an unspoken feeling that the Tigers already had a good idea of who would be in the middle at Week 1. Sam Horn‘s return, Beau Pribula‘s transfer from Penn State, and true freshman hype around Matt Zollers provided Drinkwitz with options, but the pecking order felt predictable. Or so it did. Now? That pecking order has officially been put on hold, and Missouri’s QB situation just got thrown back into the open.
Midway through the first week of camp, Coach Drinkwitz revealed that Missouri currently has no starting quarterback. “The Tigers don’t have a starting QB yet,” he said to open a recent fall camp conference. Drinkwitz added, “When the quarterback’s ready, he’ll show himself to the team. I believe we’ll all find out who it is. And when that happens, we’ll let you know. I don’t intend to wait to make the announcement due to a perceived gain.” The sheer fact that only two QBs were present this spring shook the staff to some degree, and the arrival of additional competition now, such as freshman Matt Zollers, isn’t depth. It’s insurance.
Sam Horn, a redshirt junior and former four-star recruit, is the veteran of the unit but has struggled to get playing time at Mizzou, going just 3 of 6 for 54 yards and one touchdown in three games in 2023, per ESPN. His ball security, athleticism, and intelligent pocket play all make him a viable alternative, but to this point, he has not stood out as much in camp.
Pribula, the Penn State transfer, adds more experience and dual-threat potential. In 24 games as Drew Allar‘s backup, he went 37-for-56 (66.1%) for 424 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception. He also ran for 571 yards with 10 touchdowns, averaging more than six yards per run. Pribula’s combination of running ability and efficiency is just what some coaches desire under pressure.
And then there’s Pennsylvania true freshman phenom Matt Zollers. At Spring-Ford High, Zollers completed 2,917 yards and 37 touchdowns through the air in his junior year, with almost 1,000 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground, gaining four-star status and All-American accolades. Though he hasn’t seen a college snap yet, his initial poise, size (6 feet 3 inches, 214 pounds), and athleticism raised eyebrows in Schembechler Hall. But a few days ago, Drinkwitz confessed that, “One thing I do wanna say is Sam and Beau really separated themselves in the fall or in the spring and in the summer. I think those two guys will get the lion’s share of the [reps].” Though fall camp had different plans.
Early camp mistakes put Eli Drinkwitz’s QB race into overdrive
The true reason Missouri’s quarterback competition restarted so early? Blunders. Fall camp practice has already revealed breakdowns in decision-making, misreads, and inconsistency in crunch time. Drinkwitz wasn’t sugarcoating anything either. “Yeah, you know, they’ve all done some really good things and some really dumb things, and that’s kind of the quarterback position,” he said. “Now it’s about seeing, do they continually make that same mistake, or can they self-correct?”
The coach noted that the errors aren’t always the concern; it’s how the QBs react. “We did a blitz session today. I think both of them threw a pick, but then over there in the boot ball, both of them threw touchdowns,” he said. “That’s the way you want this quarterback battle to unfold. That’s how you want this to happen.”
Even the freshman Matt Zollers was called out. “Matt Zoller did some really good things right down there,” Drinkwitz recounted. “Made an adjustment to a play, and big-time throw right there.” That kind of praise at this point in the season? This race has a long way to go to be finished.
This is where Missouri most desperately needs its quarterbacks to mature rapidly. There is no room for constant mistakes when the schedule pinches and the SEC limelight shines brightest. If one of them can show consistency, rid themselves of those early mistakes, they’ll be in the driver’s seat in a snap. Until then, this war may just be the Tigers’ most wild and unpredictable tale of the year.
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