Eli Drinkwitz on whether quarterback depth impacts Beau Pribula's playstyle: ‘Beau’s gonna be Beau’

With the long-term injury to Sam Horn, Beau Pribula just took the top spot on the depth chart. However, even after going from two possible starters to one with less depth at the position because of it, Eli Drinkwitz doesn’t want Pribula to worry about changing his game at all.

While meeting with the media this week, Drinkwitz was asked if Pribula should adjust who he is as a runner now that he’s the starter for Missouri. Simply put, Drinkwitz said his quarterback is going to be who he is regardless, with the Tigers wanting him to be that version of himself, too.

“Beau’s gonna be Beau. Beau’s gonna be Beau,” Drinkwitz said. “So, I don’t need Beau to change anything. You can’t control injuries. You can’t be afraid of them. You’ve got to play your game. Whatever makes Beau the best quarterback he can be is what Beau’s got to be. And, that’s what he’s going to do.”

Coming in for Horn — something he was going to do in the second half anyway as part of the Tigers’ quarterback competition — Pribula put on quite the performance in the 61-6 opening win for Missouri over Central Arkansas. He went 23-28 when passing for 283 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 65 yards and two more scores.

“Sliding will probably happen more often. But, that’s just kind of how I’ve always been,” Pribula said postgame of his dual-threat ability as a runner. “I love running the football. I pride myself being not just a good quarterback but a football player. But, I definitely think there’s situations where you need to protect yourself, so I’ll watch the tape on that and hopefully improve that.”

That said, it’s worth noting that the backup now is Matt Zollers, the Top 100 incoming freshman who was a four-star recruit and a top-ten quarterback in 2025, per Rivals’ Industry Ranking. He moves up the depth chart with Horn out and Pribula being the starter from here on.

The season is going to play out as it’s going to, with Mizzou needing Pribula to be fully who he is as QB1. So, Drinkwitz, while hoping he’ll at least be mindful about it, is going to let Pribula do what he does, which Pribula appreciates.

“It’s, you know, a lot for the confidence when a head coach can put his trust in my ability, especially around the football. And I think Beau just being Beau just stems back to youth league, you know. It’s just, I’ve always kind of had a knack for just running the football,” Pribula said. “But, at the same time, how can I use that effectively, and most effectively, you know? Keeping my eyes up right before the line of scrimmage to extend plays. Using my feet can be a threat but, you know, how can that be most effective, really?”