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Columbia Daily Tribune
Eli Drinkwitz posts Gator Bowl QB plans after Beau Pribula transfer choice
- Story byColumbia Daily Tribune
- Eli Drinkwitz posts Gator Bowl QB plans after Beau Pribula transfer choice
Eli Drinkwitz didn't waste any time announcing Missouri's next move at quarterback.
A Mizzou team spokesperson confirmed to the Columbia Daily Tribune that Beau Pribula, who was Missouri football's starting quarterback for most of the 2025 season, intends to enter the transfer portal this offseason.
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Shortly after the news, which was first reported by PowerMizzou of 247Sports, broke on Thursday morning, Drinkwitz posted to his X/Twitter account that true freshman Matt Zollers will make his third start for the Tigers .
"We are excited for Matt to be our qb of the Gator Bowl!" Drinkwitz posted. "He's READY!! LFG!!"
Zollers started two games for the Tigers after Pribula sustained a non-fractured dislocated ankle in a game at Vanderbilt on Oct. 25. In Nashville, he led several encouraging drives to give the Tigers a fighting chance of a road win against the then-top-10 Commodores. He even completed a last-play Hail Mary to Kevin Coleman Jr. that could have tied the game, but the reception came up inches short of the goal line.
He appeared in more than half of Mizzou's games this season. He went 1-1 as MU's starter, struggling against a strong Texas A&M defense in his first out-the-gate action, but rebounding with a strong start in a win over Mississippi State a week later.
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The freshman quarterback out of Royersford, Pennsylvania, is listed at 6 foot 4 and 214 pounds. His arm talent is obvious, but there are clear areas and reads where he needs to show development moving forward.
Drinkwitz has previously called Zollers the "future of the program at the quarterback position," and that's now immediately true.
What does that mean for Mizzou's long-term future at the position?
Not necessarily that Zollers is QB1 for 2026, and that there won't be any spring- or fall-camp competition. He is, however, the only returning scholarship quarterback on the roster. The Tigers did sign three-star Pennsylvania product Gavin Sidwar in the Class of 2026, and he will arrive on campus in January.
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But Missouri is now likely to add some competition to mix. The Tigers might even chase a high-profile name out of the transfer portal, although that perhaps runs the risk of running Zollers off.
Mizzou still has to hire an offensive coordinator. Depending on who the Tigers bring in to replace Kirby Moore as the play caller, the hire may have their own ideas for the upcoming transfer portal window. It's not absolutely unheard of that a QB follows a coach from school to school.
More: What Missouri football fans need to know about new transfer portal dates
More: Missouri football quarterback Beau Pribula to enter transfer portal
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Matt Zollers (5) warms up during the first quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
With Pribula now off the roster and Sam Horn still injured — and still expected to join the MLB's Los Angeles Dodgers in the new year — Mizzou's backup quarterback is now likely to be walk-on Brett Brown.
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But, for now — and perhaps in the long term — Zollers is QB1 in Columbia.
Missouri plays Virginia, which won the ACC regular-season title, in the Gator Bowl on Dec. 27 in Jacksonville, Florida. The Tigers are looking for a third straight bowl win, which would also help tie the program record of 30 wins in a three-season span.
The reins are over to the rookie.
This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: Matt Zollers starting Gator Bowl for Mizzou after Pribula transfer
