Mizzou QB Reveals He Was Originally Recruited as a Free Safety
As the Missouri Tigers prepare for the 2025 season, there are more questions than answers, especially at quarterback.
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With the departure of three-year starter Brady Cook and several key offensive pieces, head coach Eli Drinkwitz was forced to look outside Columbia for solutions.
One of those new faces under center is Penn State transfer Beau Pribula, a player who, not long ago, wasn't even seen as a true quarterback.
'My whole life, I was always a good athlete,' Pribula said on the Next Up with Adam Breneman podcast. 'I was recruited at free safety. I had to play wide receiver and free safety — and ended up being really good at it.'
Despite his proven athleticism, the perception for a long time was that he couldn't throw well enough to play quarterback at a high level.
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'I could see how people would think that. Like, 'He's a good athlete, he can run, but I don't know if he can really play quarterback,'' he admitted. 'Honestly, I'd probably agree with them my freshman year of college. I see clips from that first spring, and I'm like, 'Oh my gosh, I was not ready to play this level of quarterback.''
But Pribula's development didn't stop there. He pointed to the 2023 Peach Bowl as a turning point, as the first time he felt he truly proved himself as a passer.
'After that Peach Bowl game, I had complete confidence in myself as a passer,' he said. 'People just didn't know it yet. I knew my teammates knew it. I knew my coaches knew it. But I understood why people on the outside didn't see it.'
His real breakout moment, though, came in a 2024 matchup against Wisconsin.
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'It wasn't until the Wisconsin game where we were forced to call the whole playbook to win,' he said. 'That was the game where I had to make throws — and I did. That's when I felt like, 'Okay, here's 11 throws for you.''
Still, the narrative around Pribula has remained largely focused on his legs, not his arm. At Penn State, he racked up 571 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on 94 carries, while only throwing for 424 yards and nine scores on 56 attempts.
Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula (9) rushes up the field.Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
But that limited passing sample, he says, was by design. Playing behind Drew Allar, Pribula was primarily used in running packages.
'People didn't see the throws I was making in practice or the player I was becoming,' he said. 'But I know 100% that I'm a complete quarterback. There's no doubt in my mind. I can throw just as well as any quarterback in the country. I'm just excited to show it.'
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As the Tigers head into fall camp, there's still technically a quarterback competition between Pribula and redshirt junior Sam Horn. But based on spring reps and overall momentum, Pribula holds the edge — especially with Horn spending most of the spring focused on baseball and recently landing at No. 128 on MLB's Top Draft Prospects board.
While many had their doubts, Pribula made it a goal to prove them wrong. Still, replacing Cook means more than just producing on the field, it also means taking over as a team leader, which will be the next big question for Pribula.
But if you ask him, he's ready to answer it.
Related: Mizzou Football Loses Another Promising Defensive Recruit to SEC Opponent
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
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