Beau Pribula Opens up About Leaving Penn State, Transferring to Missouri

On Adam Breneman's podcast, the former Nittany Lions quarterback discusses his "impossible" decision, watching the playoffs and James Franklin's support.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula runs with the football vs. Purdue in a Big Ten football game. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Beau Pribula was on a visit to Ole Miss, sitting in a quarterbacks meeting, when he had to excuse himself. Penn State was playing SMU in the first round of the College Football Playoff, and Pribula needed to check on his former team. He saw Penn State linebacker Dom DeLuca return an interception for a touchdown and cheered.

"I can't just sit here while my guys are playing," Pribula said in an interview with Adam Breneman. "It was tough."

Pribula recently sat down for an hour-long chat on the Next Up With Adam Breneman podcast, bringing together two former Nittany Lions with plenty in common. They both were Pennsylvania high school football stars who committed to their dream school. Then they both transferred (Breneman to UMass, Pribula to Missouri) for uniquely personal reasons.

Breneman even recruited Pribula briefly while on the Arizona State coaching staff, adding another layer to the conversation. The entire interview is worth the watch. Here are some highlights:

RELATED: How Adam Breneman wants to change college football, at Penn State and beyond

Pribula discusses his decision to leave Penn State

Pribula said he didn't consider leaving Penn State until after the Big Ten Championship Game in early December, and even then it was through some family prodding. Pribula was looking forward to the Nittany Lions' home College Football Playoff game vs. SMU, but his family wanted to start the conversation about next season.

"It wasn’t until my family called me," Pribula told Breneman. "My family, my brother, they were like, 'the transfer portal is open right now, and this is all going to happen really fast, and we really think that you should consider transferring. ... You should think about it and you should talk to the coaches.'"

Drew Allar, Penn State's starting quarterback, soon would announce his plan to return for a third season. Pribula didn't have much time to think but ultimately went to Penn State coach James Franklin for the conversation.

How James Franklin reacted to Pribula's decision

Pribula praised Franklin, calling the head coach "so supportive" during that hectic week. Pribula said that Franklin tried several ways to solve the transfer issue while keeping Pribula on the roster.

"Coach Franklin was so supportive," Pribula said. "He said, 'I can reach out to these coaches for you. Any school that you're interested in, I'll reach out and I'll tell them that he's a great fit but he wants to finish the playoffs, so he's not going to enter the transfer portal.' So that's what we were going to do.

"... I was taken aback by how much [Franklin] supported me. He was frustrated, too, at the system. He was like, 'It shouldn't be like this. Athletes shouldn't have to make decisions like this.'"

But Pribula needed to take visits and meet with coaches. To do that, he had to enter the portal. And by entering the portal, he couldn't play for Penn State, by team rule.

"It was rough," Pribula said. "It was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, making that decision and leaving the team before the playoffs. It was not something I wanted to do."

How Pribula's Penn State teammates responded

Pribula actually practiced with the Nittany Lions on Sunday, six days before the playoff game vs. SMU. He also told his teammates later that day about his decision to transfer. Pribula was nervous that they would react negatively but instead found the opposite.

"I didn't even realize how much my teammates appreciated me until I left," Pribula said in the interview. "It was kind of controversial when I left. I had to leave before the playoffs. ... They weren't just supportive of me. They were so excited for me and my future. ... They don't realize what that meant to me."

In the interview Pribula also discusses why he chose Missouri, his goals for the season and what he's doing with his NIL money. Pribula has invested in real estate, including a State College townhouse development in which Breneman also is an investor.

Check out the entire interview here.