Could Beau Pribula Return to Penn State for His Last Ride?

The Missouri quarterback, and former Nittany Lion, will enter the transfer portal after one season with the Tigers.

Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula runs with the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers in 2024. | Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Could the homecoming actually happen? According to multiple media reports, the first by CBS' Matt Zenitz, Missouri quarterback Beau Pribula will enter the transfer portal Jan. 2, setting the stage for a potential reunion, albeit with a new coaching staff, at Penn State.

Pribula became the latest high-profile quarterback to signal his intent to enter the portal, joining Nebraska's Dylan Raiola, Florida's DJ Lagway and Cincinnati's Brendan Sorsby, among many others. Pribula has one year of eligibility remaining and no recruiting ties to Penn State coach Matt Campbell, though the homecoming angle certainly makes his decision intriguing, particularly considering comments he made to analyst and former Penn State player Adam Breneman this summer.

Pribula played in 10 games for Missouri this season, completing 67.4 percent of his passes for 1,941 yards and 11 touchdowns. He led the Tigers to wins over Kansas, South Carolina and Auburn before getting injury in an Oct. 25 loss to Vanderbilt.

Pribula returned for the season's final two regular-season games, capping the year with a 31-17 win over Arkansas in which he rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown. Pribula will not play in the Dec. 27 Gator Bowl, in which Missouri meets Virginia.

#WEARE https://t.co/o8qyVa4Ru5

— Adam Breneman (@AdamBreneman81) December 18, 2025

'It was tough'

Missouri Tigers quarterback Beau Pribula (9) rushes during the third quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

In a summer interview with Breneman, conducted in his hometown of York, Pennsylvania, Pribula discussed watching Penn State's first-round playoff game vs. SMU while on a recruiting visit to Ole Miss. He cheered when former teammate Dom DeLuca returned an interception for a touchdown.

"I can't just sit here while my guys are playing," Pribula told Breneman. "It was tough."

Pribula was a Penn State kid who drew comparisons to Trace McSorley for their playing styles and shared jersey No. 9. But when Drew Allar announced plans to return to Penn State for the 2025 season, Pribula knew he wanted to explore options for a starting job elsewhere. That required him to enter the portal during a playoff run.

"It was rough," Pribula told Breneman. "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."

Former Penn State coach James Franklin supported Pribula's decision at the time while chastising a system that, at the time, opened the transfer portal in mid-December. The system has changed this year, as the portal will not open officially until Jan. 2. However, players can announce their intent to enter the portal at any time.

"I didn't even realize how much my teammates appreciated me until I left," Pribula said in the interview with Breneman. "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."

Despite leaving Penn State, Pribula maintains ties to the State College area. This past summer he invested in a new townhouse development near the State College Regional Airport, in which Breneman also is an investor. Inch & Co., a York-based company that is developing the property, signed Pribula to an NIL deal in 2023.

Pribula doesn't have any recorded recruiting history with Penn State coach Matt Campbell, who did not offer the quarterback a scholarship in Iowa State's 2022 recruiting class (though Campbell did offer Allar and Nicholas Singleton).

One quarterback Campbell offered, and signed, in 2022 was Rocco Becht, Iowa State's multi-year starter who recently underwent surgery on his non-throwing shoulder. Becht has not announced plans for his future. However, Campbell has discussed the qualities he seeks in a quarterback.

"Everybody likes fast, everybody likes arm strength, but those things don’t win," Campbell said. "What wins is grit, toughness, character and the ability to lead others around. The locker room always know who the quarterback should be."

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