The Missouri football team got a rare bit of good news on Beau Pribula after what looked like a devastating leg injury against Vanderbilt. Initial fears of a season-ending break gave way to a more hopeful diagnosis: a serious sprain with ligament damage but no surgery required, and even a slim chance the starting QB could return before the year is over, per an October report from CBS Sports’ Matt Zenitz.
Since then, the picture has slowly come into focus. Pribula dislocated his ankle versus Vanderbilt but avoided fractures, leaving his status murky week to week, according to On3.
"Beau Pribula is currently working through his rehab process, with the oversight of the doctors and training staff."#Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz noted the Tigers' starting quarterback has partaken in limited practice: https://t.co/6RYEWfZQti pic.twitter.com/58ds9Fz1IV
— MizzouToday (@MizzouToday) November 18, 2025
Ahead of the Mississippi State game, he was surprisingly listed as doubtful on the SEC availability report, then downgraded to out on the final update, even after warming up pregame without any visible brace.
On Tuesday, head coach Eliah Drinkwitz offered the latest update on Pribula before Missouri’s football team showdown with Oklahoma.
He said the veteran quarterback is “working through his rehab process” under the guidance of team doctors and athletic trainers and stressed that the program will “see how he progresses this week” before anything changes on the SEC availability report.
Pribula’s value is obvious in the numbers. Before the injury, he started the Tigers’ first eight games and completed nearly 70 percent of his passes (158 of 227) for 1,685 yards, 11 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, while adding 220 rushing yards and five scores on the ground. He is both Missouri’s offensive organizer and its third-leading rusher.
In his place, true freshman Matt Zollers has been thrown straight into the fire. He struggled badly at Texas A&M (7-of-22 for 77 yards) but settled down some against Mississippi State, going 8-of-15 for 112 yards with two touchdowns and one interception. The staff is still clearly managing the playbook around a first-year arm.
Missouri remains alive in the New Year’s Six and fringe CFP conversation, but how far the Tigers can climb likely depends on whether Pribula’s rehab progresses fast enough to get him back on the field before the season runs out.
