Drinkwitz Says There's 'No Timetable' on QB Battle, Names Surprise Contender

Drinkwitz isn't sure when he'll name a starting quarterback, but knows it will be the "hardest thing" he does all season.

Oct 26, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eliah Drinkwitz talks into his headset during a timeout against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the fourth quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Will McLelland-Imagn Images | Will McLelland-Imagn Images

Eli Drinkwitz isn't in a rush to name the next starting quarterback for the Missouri Tigers. Even if that means carrying the competition into Week 1 against Central Arkansas.

"When the quarterback's ready, he’ll show himself to the team," Drinkwitz said in a press conference Sunday.

Missouri begins fall camp Monday with all eyes set on redshirt juniors Sam Horn and Beau Pribula, a transfer from Penn State, at quarterback.

It will be the second starting competition for Horn, who lost out on the job to Brady Cook ahead of the 2023 season. Unlike the 2023 competition though where Cook had started the previous year, neither Horn or Pribula have started in a collegiate game yet. Because of that, Drinkwitz believes this competition will be very different.

"When it was Sam versus Brady (Cook), you kind of had some extra known expectations of how Brady was going to play the game, so on, so forth. And so, Sam had to really go in there and beat him out in order to get that job. Just wasn't able to get over the hump. This will be uniquely different."

Aug 31, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Sam Horn (21) runs the ball against the South Dakota Coyotes during the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Instead, Drinkwitz compared the situation to the competition going into the 2020 season, where redshirt freshman Connor Bazelak and TCU transfer Shawn Robinson.

"We didn't have much tape on anybody, and so  were kind of going into it without knowing how they were going to respond. And that's kind of similar here."

One of the top traits Drinkwitz is looking to see to decide the quarterback battle is consistency in play, attitude and approach.

 "I told them straight up, one bad day is not going to decide the competition. There's going to have to be a consistency of your approach."

Drinkwitz said both quarterbacks will be given equal opportunities in practices. With the lack of starting experience for both, the coaching staff is looking to put them in a variety of tests to learn the capabilities of both candidates.

"Without these guys having as much experience on tape, we're going to have to throw them in a lot of different scenarios and situations and see coming out on top. We're going to divide it up and encourage them all to run their own race."

Oct 5, 2024; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula (9) throws a pass during a warmup prior to the game against the UCLA Bruins at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Another element different than any of the quarterback competitions Drinkwitz has had before at Missouri is a true freshman — Matt Zollers — having a chance, even if it's a very slim one.

"I don't necessarily think Matt [Zollers] is out of it just yet. He's going to have to really come in and come on in fall camp. But that's not been unheard of.”

Zollers, rated as a four-star prospect out of high school, shares some similar traits to both Pribula and Horn, with his ability to extend plays with his legs and throw off-platform. But it seems like a far stretch for Zollers to actually have a chance to throw his name in the mix for the starting quarterback this year.

Considering Zollers in the competition is a different tone than what Drinkwitz said at the end of spring practices.  Then, he said it was "clear" after the first week and a half of practices that the competition would be solely between Pribula and Horn, not Zollers nor Drew Pyne, last year's backup.

Regardless of what he ends up contributing this year, the way Drinkwitz has spoke on Zollers all offseason seems to be a good sign for the future of MU's quarterback room.

"Very impressed with where he’s at throughout spring and know that every bit of arm talent, natural leadership ability, athleticism and playmaking ability is there," Drinkwitz said in April. "I look forward to watching him develop."

Between the promising freshman, along with the two leaders in the competition, Drinkwitz is very confident in the room, calling it "the best quarterback room" he's ever been in. Even better than the 2015 Boise State offense he coordinated, featuring Brett Rypien and Ryan Finley, two players who would go on to have multi-year careers in the NFL.

"I'm really, really excited about the competition. What's keeping me up at night is that I'm going to have to tell somebody they're not the starting quarterback. That's going to be the hardest thing I do all season."