Why Beau Pribula decided to transfer from Penn State

USA Today

6 days ago

In the modern era of the transfer portal, one's future seems almost certainly more unsettled than you think. Now that programs can sign you away from your schools even when you are competing in the playoffs, situations grow ever more tenuous. So when news of Beau Pribula's transfer to Missouri from Penn State broke even before the playoffs began, it was a huge shock but nothing new. What is new, on the other hand, is the information about said transfer..and about how one phone call from his family could have changed anything.
If you asked Beau Pribula whether he would be willing to stay another year as the backup to Drew Allar, 9 times out of 10 his answer would be yes. He felt connected to his teammates, the fans, and most importantly, himself. After all, the Nittany Lions had just cemented their first playoff berth ever. Surely he wished to take and moment and bask in the moment. However, harsh reality would soon strike.
According to CBS Sports, it was a phone call from Pribula's brother Cade that changed the tenor of his mind. His brother reminded him that, for as much as the new portal gave him ample time to decide his future, the process moves incredibly fast. If Pribula wanted a move, it had to be now.
Thus, the playoff celebration quickly transitioned to school searching, along with head coach James Franklin.
"I was instantly pretty emotional," Pribula said in an appearance on the Next Up With Adam Breneman podcast. "I hadn't thought about it at all and it's kind of becoming a reality." Most importantly, he still had to remain present for a team he knew he would never play for again which was hard for him. The support of his teammates, he mentioned, were what carried him through.
And so, after countless visits that included everyone from Wisconsin to UCF, Pribula settled on the Missouri Tigers. He knew very little about his new home, only that he would be following in Brady Cook's footsteps and that Eli Drinkwitz was an innovative head coach making waves in the SEC.
"It was really just those two things -- my good fit and I met with the offensive coordinator for a while, an hour or two hour meeting just talking about scheme and stuff like that and I was like, 'That's kind of what I want right here.", Pribula said on the podcast.
Something about that quote says that he is ready for change. Needless to say, one can't help but think what Pribula could have been had he remained a Nittany Lion.