Eli Drinkwitz Talks Recovery of Sam Horn, Future of Quarterback Spot

With the quarterback position in question for the Missouri Tigers, head coach Eli Drinkwitz addressed the recovery process of its young backup and the potential of adding one in the transfer portal.

Nov 4, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Missouri Tigers quarterback Sam Horn (21) on the field before the game against the Georgia Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

With Brady Cook set to play one more game at quarterback for the Missouri Tigers, the era of Tiger football with him at the helm comes to a close. The next era at the quarterback spot for head coach Eli Drinkwitz and the Missouri Tigers, as of now, has a giant question mark placed upon it.

A decision has yet to be made, but one option could be in-house. Redshirt sophomore Sam Horn, who hasn't completed a pass since 2023, underwent surgery for a torn UCL in February of this year. This forced him to miss the last baseball season as a pitcher and all of this football season. However, he showed some promise in his short freshman campaign while competing for the starting job against Cook.

As of now, Horn is on the road to recovery. In a limited capacity, he's begun throwing the ball and looks to join the team in spring training. He also plans on participating with the Tigers baseball squad this year.

“Sam [Horn] is 11 months removed post-surgery," Drinkwitz said in a press conference Wednesday. "Had a follow-up after the first week in December, which was the first opportunity that he had to begin throwing the football."

Despite being injured, Horn was present with the team in practices, meetings and his recovery process. It won't necessarily put him in the driver's spot to earn the starting quarterback spot, a decision that likely won't be made for a while, but it does show his commitment to the Tigers.

“We were adamant we did it right,” Drinkwitz said. “Sam was present every day, here for meetings, practices with alternates on six days, three days a week.”

At this point, Horn is still going through rehab, but his activity has increased. He can't fully participate in practices with the team yet but can do minor throwing drills. Horn does, however, plan to participate in spring football practices, and the upcoming baseball season.

“He's now in the rehab phase where he can throw a little bit,” Drinkwitz said.

If Horn isn't the next man up for the Tigers, adding a quarterback in the transfer portal appears to be the next option. There's been minimal discussion about senior backup Drew Pyne, who appeared in six games and miraculously won the Tigers a crucial matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners. He isn't for sure out of the quarterback battle as long as he's on the roster, but if a returner becomes the starter, it seems like it will be Horn. The transfer portal, based on reports, does seem like a viable option.

The Tigers have reportedly reached out to multiple quarterbacks in the portal so far, but none have yet to commit. Drinkwitz knows exactly what he wants from a portal quarterback. Most of those traits can be found in the current quarterbacks on the roster, including Cook.

“Toughness, preparation, decision-making, accuracy and leadership are the five characteristics of elite quarterbacks and it's been that way since I've been here and it's not going to change,” Drinkwitz said.

Off the field, Drinkwitz won't take anyone who isn't a presence in the locker room. Whoever plays at quarterback for the Tigers needs to be a player that people can get behind and trust. Cook certainly was that and leaves a big hole for Drinkwitz to fill but it does narrow down potential transfer portal candidates.

“Are they a group of guys that people want to be around and want to play hard for? You look at the best quarterbacks that Mizzou's had, they've had those characteristics,” Drinkwitz said. “You look at Brady Cook, he's got those characteristics. So that's what we look for. That's what we evaluate.”

Drinkwitz is not adamant about adding a quarterback in the portal. It appears to be a "if it happens it happens situation," though it does seem like they are actively pursuing one. So far, the Tigers have been connected to Miller Moss, Beau Pribula and Fernando Mendoza, officially. Moss is headed to Louisville and leaves fewer reasonable candidates left. By chance, if Drinkwitz elects not to bring one in, he has full trust in the locker room and the options in it to compete and win.

"If we need to add a quarterback, we will and if we don't, we don’t,” Drinkwitz said. “I really feel confident that we have really good players in that locker room, and they all understand that if we feel like we can add a player to create competition to bring the best out of everybody in the brotherhood, we'll do that."

It shouldn't be forgotten that Missouri signed four-star freshman quarterback Matt Zollers, the headliner of its 2025 recruiting class. He might not be ready by day one for the Tigers, but he does appear to be the future of the quarterback position for them. Finding someone who can be a bridge until a time when Zollers can start, or another young player is ready, might be another trait the Tigers look for while answering the unknown at the position for 2025.

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