How Kansas Football Should Game Plan for Beau Pribula With Sam Horn Out

With the Border Showdown looming between Kansas and Missouri, the Tigers suffered a major setback in their Week 1 win over Central Arkansas.

Quarterback Sam Horn went down with a leg injury and is expected to be out indefinitely, paving the way for Penn State transfer Beau Pribula to take over as Mizzou’s lone starting signal-caller.

Since the Jayhawks know who will officially be under center next Saturday, Lance Leipold and Co. can turn their attention toward game-planning for the new starter.

How Can Kansas Contain Beau Pribula?

Coming into the season, Horn and Pribula were listed as co-starters, as both were expected to receive one half of action in the opener.

Pribula was viewed as the favorite during training camp, but didn’t do enough to claim the job outright.

That immediately changed once Horn got injured, and the former Nittany Lion responded with a strong debut for his new school. Pribula completed 23-of-28 passes for 283 yards and two touchdowns while also adding 65 yards and two more scores on the ground.

Aug 28, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Central Arkansas Bears during the second half of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

During his time in Happy Valley, he was strictly used in situational packages that highlighted his speed and athleticism. He finished with 571 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns at 6.1 yards per carry over two seasons, only attempting 56 passes across that span.

That led to questions about whether he was effective enough as a passer to be a full-time starter at a Power 4 school, but his Week 1 performance quieted his doubters.

Even then, Pribula does have some limitations. He does not possess elite arm strength, and deep accuracy remains an issue.

Where he thrives is as a dual-threat quarterback, especially with the support of star transfer running back Ahmad Hardy, who rushed for 1,351 yards and 13 touchdowns at Louisiana Monroe last season. Hardy’s presence prevents defenses from selling out to stop Pribula’s legs and will force future opponents to respect both dimensions of Missouri’s rushing attack.

Therefore, KU needs to be aggressive throughout the contest by taking Pribula out of his comfort zone. Putting pressure on him with blitzes will give him less time to make things happen outside of the pocket, and that could be D.K. McDonald's best shot at slowing him down.

The Jayhawks have impressed early on the defensive end, holding each of their first two opponents to just seven points.

However, Missouri will be the first true test for a Kansas defense that entered the season with lingering questions. Those concerns grew following a string of injuries, most recently to South Carolina transfer Bangally Kamara after he went down in practice with a non-contact knee injury.

Kamara joins defensive tackle Gage Keys and linebacker Joseph Sipp Jr. as defensive depth dealing with injuries, which leaves KU thin up the middle next week.

Expect the Tigers to lean heavily on RPO concepts, putting the ball in Pribula’s hands to make quick decisions. How Kansas handles those RPOs and whether they can limit Pribula’s ability to extend plays could very well decide the outcome of the Border Showdown.