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Former Penn State Quarterback Beau Pribula Is Headed to the SEC

Pribula, a three-year player for the Nittany Lions, is transferring to the Missouri Tigers.

Mark Wogenrich

Former Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula rushes the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind.
Former Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Beau Pribula rushes the ball against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Ind. / Alex Martin/Journal and Courier / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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A week after announcing his departure from Penn State, quarterback Beau Pribula has a new home. The former Nittany Lion is transferring to Missouri, the program announced Sunday night. Pribula will have two seasons of eligibility remaining for the Tigers.

Pribula became one of the biggest names at quarterback in the transfer portal upon entering Dec. 16, five days before the Nittany Lions' first-round College Football Playoff game vs. SMU. Pribula reportedly visited Missouri, Iowa and Ole Miss during a week of scouting his new destination. At Missouri, Pribula joins an offense looking for a starting quarterback following Brady Cook's departure. Pribula enters a quarterback room that includes senior Drew Pyne and sophomore Sam Horn.

Pribula also arrives at Missouri at the same time as highly ranked Pennsylvania high school quarterback Matt Zollers of Spring-Ford High School. Zollers, a 4-star prospect and the No. 3 overall player in Pennsylvania according to the 247Sports Composite, was injured during his senior season but will enroll early. He and Pribula are represented by the same agency, Aurum Sports, and have worked out together.

Pribula's decision to transfer became a national story and served to jumpstart the conversation regarding the NCAA Transfer Portal's place in the college football calendar. Penn State coach James Franklin criticized the portal's December window, which closes Dec. 28, conflicting with the College Football Playoff. National media largely sided with Franklin, who said Pribula was in an "impossible" situation about his future.

Franklin said that he and Pribula tried to agree on a plan to keep the quarterback at Penn State through the playoff but could not work out an option.

"Beau Pribula has been a phenomenal teammate, has been a big reason why we are where we are right now," Franklin said before the Nittany Lions' playoff win over SMU. ... Being a backup quarterback is not an easy thing to do, and he never approached it that way. Had so much confidence on our team based on how he went about his business and prepared like a starter, again, which is something we talk about all the time, but is easier said than done. He also, in my opinion, he's a man's man. Like, came into my office, had multiple conversations with me about this process. We talked last week, had no intentions of leaving.

"But we've got problems in college football. And I can give you my word: Beau Pribula did not want to leave our program and he did not want to leave our program until the end of the season. But the way the portal is and the timing of it and the way our team is playing — and when you play the position of quarterback and there's only one spot and those spots are filling up — he felt like he was put in a no-win situation, and I agree with him."

Penn State advanced in the playoff to face Boise State in the quarterfinal round at the Fiesta Bowl. The game is scheduled for New Year's Eve in Glendale, Arizona.

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Mark Wogenrich
MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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