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It was the wrong hotel.

“The only thing on my mind at that moment,� Pribula told the Post-Dispatch, “was, ‘I really need to go to the bathroom.’ I had to pee pretty bad. Soon as he’s done talking, I got out of the car, I was like, ‘Where’s the nearest bathroom?’ I walk in there and blink. This place looks a little different than the hotel I’m staying in. Whatever, I went to the bathroom. Next thing you know, he’s calling me: ‘Hey, I dropped you off at the wrong one.’�

Drinkwitz came back and drove Pribula to the correct hotel. He still got his quarterback, so no harm was done.

“I’m not sure what he thinks about my intelligence level,� Drinkwitz said, “but it was good enough to get him to play for us.�

Now, Pribula is battling with returner Sam Horn to start as MU’s quarterback this season. Through the first two practices of fall camp, the competition seems fairly neck and neck. True to Drinkwitz’s promise that they’d split first-team opportunities early on, Pribula was the first quarterback out for drills Tuesday after Horn was on Monday.

Pribula is, technically speaking, the most experienced quarterback on Missouri’s roster. But in the grand scheme of college football, he’s more of an unknown.

Penn State, where Pribula spent his first three seasons, used him mostly as a situational runner to give a play a different look from starter Drew Allar. Across his time with the Nittany Lions, Pribula ran the ball 94 times for 571 yards and 10 touchdowns. Through the air, for comparison, he only attempted 56 passes, completing 37 for 424 yards and nine touchdowns.

And of those passes, just 18 have gone to targets 10 or more yards downfield, according to Pro Football Focus’ tracking.

Pribula, the runner, is a known commodity. Pribula, the passer, less so. The Post-Dispatch asked him Sunday, the first time the Tigers’ newest quarterback met with the media, whether he feels he’s been able to showcase all he’s able to do as a QB.

“It’s a good question,� Pribula said. “A lot of the time that I went in at Penn State, it was usually a run, unless (it was) when Drew got hurt and I had to be the full-time quarterback and the entire playbook was open for me at my disposal. I think there’s definitely opportunity for me to, hopefully, be in a role where I can run and throw.�

If Mizzou’s Kirby Moore-designed offense looks like it has during his first two seasons as offensive coordinator, the quarterback run will be a staple. Both designed runs, read plays and scrambles made previous starter Brady Cook a productive runner.

Given that Pribula has to this point mostly made a name for himself with what he’s able to do on the ground, he’d seemingly have a leg up in that category when it comes to the MU quarterback competition. Does he feel like he surprises people, then, with his arm?

“I guess so,� Pribula said. “They didn’t get the opportunity to see me throw as much just because I would come in and run, usually. Maybe it would surprise people, but hopefully moving forward, it doesn’t as much.�

For their part, his new coaches have frequently praised his arm. Not that they would publicly share any other sentiment, but they’re believers in what he can do through the air.

“He made some great throws on some intermediate throws within spring ball,� Moore said. “So he can throw the football.�

“When you watch the tape, there’s not an inability for Beau to throw — he just didn’t quite have the opportunities,� Drinkwitz said. “I would say after this spring, I’m as confident as ever that Beau is a very talented passer. I don’t have any reservations about that.�

Getting Pribula to Columbia in the first place was the result of an emotional exit from Penn State for the quarterback.

He grew up in York, Pennsylvania, and committed to the Nittany Lions as a sophomore in high school — there were no doubts in his mind about where he wanted to play college football. With eligibility to play in 2025 and 2026, he thought he would start there when Allar went on to the NFL draft.

Except shortly before the start of last season’s College Football Playoff, Allar’s trajectory changed, and he looked headed back for one year of college, which would’ve meant another year in a backup role for Pribula.

He entered the transfer portal to find a starting job and in doing so needed to leave the Nittany Lions just as they were beginning their postseason. Penn State coach James Franklin backed Pribula’s decision, rightly pointing out the impossibility of a college football calendar that requires portal entrants to take early visits while teams are still in the playoff.

If the nature of his transfer wore on Pribula, it hasn’t been evident through the start of his first preseason at Missouri. He seems upbeat, competitive and matter-of-fact when it comes to talking about the decision.

“I played in a lot of fun games there, had some good experiences,� Pribula said. “But when Drew decided to forego the draft — I liked Penn State, I love Penn State, but at the same time, I love playing football too. Just the opportunity to play football is something that I really wanted to do.�

The good news is the signs point to Drinkwitz being better positioned now to make that decision than any other point in his tenure with Mizzou.

“I think this is the fourth year — going into the year — that we’ve had a quarterback competition,� Drinkwitz said on Sunday. “So we’re familiar with it. Hopefully, with that experience comes a little bit more wisdom.�

Redshirt junior Sam Horn, who has been drafted by and signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a pitcher, and former Penn State backup quarterback and graduate transfer Beau Pribula give the Tigers an interesting duel for the starting job.

It’s a critical decision because the Tigers, picked to finish 12th in the conference preseason media poll, enter this season in position to further establish themselves and prove they’re a program that can reload and compete with the best in the nation annually.

In recent years under Drinkwitz, the Tigers have continually forced their way into the discussion in what’s considered the best college football conference in the nation, the Southeastern Conference.

Despite fighting an uphill battle to catch up to traditional powerhouses such as Alabama, George, Texas Tennessee, LSU and Ole Miss in terms of national attention and notoriety, the Tigers put together back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins for the first time in a decade, set a program record for home winning percentage (.794), won consecutive bowl games and gone unbeaten in nonconference games against the Big Ten, Big 12 and ACC in the past two seasons.

Outperforming expectations and continuing to build on recent success would go a long way in proving that the program has long-term staying power.

Of course, getting the quarterback decision wrong makes that an even taller task, and it probably already appeared as if it were on stilts.

The offense undoubtedly must do its part. Last year, that was a struggle at times. While it’s a new season, a new team and last year’s results don’t carry over to this year, Drinkwitz acknowledged that he and his staff looked at ways to get the ball downfield more coming off of last season’s struggles.

In 2024, the Tigers offense ranked 10th in the SEC in scoring (28.9 points per game), 11th in total yards per game (389.5) and 10th in passing yards per game (225.1), even with star wide receiver Luther Burden III, the 39th overall pick in this spring’s NFL draft, as an offensive centerpiece.

So there’s ample reason for concern that offensive struggles and/or quarterback struggles could derail the Tigers’ season before it gets going.

Drinkwitz drew a comparison that illustrated why the decision will need to be deliberate and thorough, but his example could also serve as a source of anxiety for Tigers faithful.

“I think this actually reminds me more of the first year when it was a battle between Shawn (Robinson) and Connor Bazelak because we didn’t have much tape on anybody,� Drinkwitz said. “So you were kind of going into it without knowing how they were going to respond, and that’s kind of similar here.�

In 2020, Drinkwitz’s first season at Missouri, Robinson started the first two games of the season before he eventually gave way to Bazelak. Robinson subsequently moved to the defensive side of the ball and became a safety, while Bazelak earned shared SEC freshman of the year honors.

A key difference this time that should work in the Tigers favor?

In 2020, Drinkwitz had to balance head coaching duties and offensive coordinator/play-calling duties while sorting through the right QB decision.

Now, he’s got Kirby Moore as the play caller, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach and another voice in the evaluation process.

“The three things we’re going to track all the time is how was my footwork, did I make a great decision and was my throw in the right spot,� Moore said of the quarterbacks.

“You can make all three of those correct and the ball can be intercepted because it gets tipped or maybe it’s not caught. So we want to make sure that we’re controlling the controllables on a daily basis. Then let it play out how it does.�

The plan entering camp will be to create as close to a 50-50 split between reps in camp for both of the quarterbacks, according to Drinkwitz.

Of course, because neither has a lot of game experience — Pribula has thrown 56 passes in his career and Horn has attempted just eight passes — so part of the task in evaluating each will be to create game-like conditions.

“We play a ton of situational football,� Moore said. “Right away, we’re going to go into the red zone where things happen faster, the decisions. You want to score touchdowns over field goals. The two-minute, four-minute, have a couple scrimmages. So I think just the speed of the game that we’re practicing in translates.

“First-hand for me, the quarterbacks that I’ve been a part of that have done well on the field are really good practice players. So we want to consistently monitor that and let it play out.�

The Tigers can’t afford to get this decision wrong. Between the experience Drinkwitz has had in recent years and the fact that he has a partner in Moore, the staff should have its best possible chance to get this one right.

“It makes you think about each player individually,� defensive tackles coach David Blackwell told the Post-Dispatch. “You can’t coach them all the same. They’re all different with things they need to work on and improve on. It makes you sit down and think a little bit as a coach, when I’m preparing my drills, how can I help everybody get where they need to get to?�

Those drills began Monday morning with the first practice of camp, held in the Tigers’ indoor facilities because the 90-degree temperatures outside made clear that it’s “fall camp� in name only.

The point of the coaching staff’s one-sentence goals for each player is to get into the finer details. Offensive line coach Brandon Jones, who joked that he had to write the most sentences because of how many linemen MU has, said his sentence for left guard Cayden Green was about “his second step in the run game.�

Detailed, indeed.

Coaches didn’t think they would be surprising any players with what they wrote, either.

“What’s unique about, I think, our guys and our team is a lot of them already know what that is,� special teams coordinator Erik Link said. “... We’re with these guys all year round, and we’re working on improving.�

“That self-awareness is a really big thing,� edge rushers coach Brian Early said. “What we put on that paper for those guys, it’s not going to be any secret. Those guys are aware of those things. We have open conversations about those things. And I think it’s really good, what Coach Drink’s doing there, just to try to help us narrow the focus.�

A fairly singular focus fits the start of camp, when players are still adjusting to the intensity and tangibility of the preseason compared to practices at other points in the year.

In pre-camp conversations with the Post-Dispatch, multiple assistants deployed the same catchy line for why they needed to whittle improvement down to just one sentence: “If you chase two rabbits, you catch none.�

“If we’re giving them too many things to get better at, (they’re) not going to get better at anything,� wide receivers coach Jacob Peeler said.

In Drinkwitz’s eyes, his assignment will help coaches give equal attention up and down the depth chart, whether a player is headed to a starting role or a redshirt.

“Coaches love to coach good players,� he said. “Great coaches coach them all. We want to coach them all. We want to coach every one of those guys in that room and see how much better we can get them. We’ll see how good that makes us at the end of the year.�

Observations from Monday’s practice

Mizzou’s first practice of fall camp proceeded a lot like past ones. Reporters were allowed to observe a little over a half-hour’s worth of the session, which included warmups and some individual drills.

It was hardly the portion of practice that would reveal or dictate much when it comes to a marquee battle like the quarterback competition, and coaches were aware that the media was watching when they structured drills for something of an audience.

At quarterback, Sam Horn took more first-team-adjacent reps than Beau Pribula. The starting offense never took the field together, but Horn took snaps from starting center Connor Tollison while Pribula worked with backup Tristan Wilson. Horn also tended to go first in drills.

That’s far from a significant indicator of who will start for the Tigers, though, and may very well flip come Tuesday. Maybe it’s more of a suggestion that Horn, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday but is still playing football this fall, is a true contender for the starting quarterback role. Maybe it means nothing.

As far as other positional battles go, Toriano Pride Jr. appeared to earn more first-team reps than Nick Deloach Jr. and Stephen Hall in the race to be the second starting cornerback alongside Drey Norwood. The offensive line’s practice regimen did not reveal any pecking order at left tackle.

When the defense broke loosely into first, second and third teams, Zion Young and Damon Wilson II were the first two defensive ends onto the field. Darris Smith and Nate Johnson made up the second unit.

Josiah Trotter and Triston Newson were the first-team linebackers, with Khalil Jacobs and Nicholas Rodriguez behind them.

Unless it isn’t.

In his camp-opening remarks to reporters Sunday afternoon, Drinkwitz opened up the possibility of the quarterback competition expanding to include true freshman Matt Zollers.

“Sam and Beau really separated themselves in the spring, in the summer,� Drinkwitz said. “I think those two guys will get the lion’s share of the (first-team reps). But I don’t necessarily think Matt’s out of it just yet. He’s going to have to really come in and come on in fall camp, but that’s not been unheard of.�

Zollers certainly has long odds of winning the job. He was a four-star recruit at Spring-Ford High School in Royersford, Pennsylvania, and the coaching staff has seen even more potential in the young quarterback since he came to campus ahead of spring workouts.

There’s no concern about Zollers’ health following a gruesome leg injury that ended his high school career, but he’s still a true freshman. Maybe he gets into a game or two for a bit of experience this season, but it seems quite unlikely he’d beat out two more experienced signal-callers — even if Horn and Pribula haven’t played a whole lot of college football, either.

Drinkwitz also didn’t rule out the possibility of the quarterback competition extending into the season, if needed. There’s “no timetable,� he again made clear.

“When the quarterback’s ready, he’ll show himself to the team,� Drinkwitz said. “I think we’ll all know who it is, and when that is, I’ll tell you. I don’t plan on waiting to announce because of a perceived advantage. Neither one of them played that much football, so there’s not going to be any(thing) to scout — it’s not going to help (Central Arkansas) one way or the other. And if it’s undecided, then we’ll let it go into the games and play as long as we need to.�

His use of “neither� instead of “none� perhaps betrays the reality that the competition is a two-man race between Horn and Pribula with Zollers in waiting, but that’s not the most relevant point there.

In 2023, the last time the Tigers staged a quarterback competition, it extended into the season opener, in which Horn and eventual starter Brady Cook each played a half of a comfortable win against South Dakota.

Opening against Central Arkansas ought to provide the same kind of gentle on-ramp, if needed. And Drinkwitz clearly isn’t too preoccupied right now with whether that’ll be necessary.

As far the barometer for finding the starting quarterback goes, Drinkwitz said it’s not purely a matter of who completes more passes, throws more touchdowns or tosses fewer interceptions.

“It’s not going to be as much about stats as it is about who consistently leads their team,� he said.

Continuity, change both apparent

Depending where you look, there’s both clear continuity and undeniable newness within the Missouri team facility. All but two of last season’s position coaches are still on staff. Coordinators Kirby Moore and Corey Batoon are back for their third and second seasons, respectively. Both the offensive and defensive line feature key returners.

Yet there’s quite a bit of change, too. Drinkwitz was asked by one ¹û½´ÊÓƵ TV station about the absence of Luther Burden III, but otherwise, there wasn’t much mention of the stars who spearheaded the Tigers’ 21 wins over the past two seasons. The aforementioned returners have been supplemented by competitive depth across the board but especially on defense.

“This is the most transfers we’ve been able to bring in since we’ve been here, which I think is kind of the new norm in college football,� Drinkwitz said. “But I do think continuity has been a little bit of our secret sauce.�

Dorm-life challenge

Mizzou players will once again start camp living in dorms near the football facility as a way to build some team chemistry and minimize distractions. They seemed generally chipper about the whole ordeal, but they’d hardly gotten settled by the time they reported to camp-opening meetings on Sunday.

A little bit of summertime dorm-living might not wind up being entirely fun — and that’s by design.

“No. 1, we want (fall camp) to be hard,� Drinkwitz said. “We want to test these guys, both mentally and physically, so that they have the understanding that when they face something hard, they can overcome it. We don’t want the first hard thing that they face to be being down seven or 14 or down at halftime or a two-minute drive. We’re going to put them in some adverse situations, starting (with) living in the dorms.�

Team still connected after OTAs

The steady expansion of college football in a calendar sense means the start of fall camp has taken on a little bit less of a “first day of school� vibe. It wasn’t that long ago that the team was practicing together for summer organized team activities, or OTAs. The intensity will certainly ramp up over the next few weeks, but the Tigers are already quite familiar with each other.

The days of coaches chomping at the bit to get a first look at their players during camp are largely gone.

“That’s the myth of college football,� Drinkwitz said. “I mean, we had OTAs in June. It was less than 30 days ago that we were all out there and getting a practice in. I’m really more excited now that we’re this many days away from the game. Now we have a real focus to our work.�

“We knew that he was going to be somebody,� said Jamie Fraser, the president of the Vikings, who play in the Florida Gulf Coast city of Venice. That’s how much talent Wilson, who was a five-star recruit and top-ranked edge rusher when he transferred to Mizzou this offseason from Georgia, possessed.

But that somebody has evolved recently.

This summer, Wilson made significant donations to both the Vikings and the Venice High School football programs, sending back some of his NIL earnings to help out athletes in his hometown. He matched donations to the Vikings during a fundraising drive that brought in more than $6,000, Fraser said.

In total, Wilson has donated more than $10,000 to his former programs. Why?

“I played more football there than anywhere else in my life,� Wilson told the Post-Dispatch, sitting in front of his new locker inside the Mizzou team facility.

And on one level, that’s true. Yet there’s something deeper to the way one of MU’s most-anticipated newcomers thinks about his platform.

In an age where Southeastern Conference football players are compensated through NIL and revenue-share payments, Wilson has become more conscious of what players do with the money they’re now receiving. More precisely, what kind of good they can do with it.

“NIL is not going anywhere,� he said. “It’s probably gonna be here forever. Just starting a cycle of athletes who come back and give back to their community and to their local Pop Warner or youth football team, because we were all kids at one point who played football. That’s just what we’re meant to do.�

Wilson’s donation will go to a handful of different places within the Venice Vikings, Fraser said. It’ll go toward scholarships for players whose families can’t afford registration fees. It’ll buy new helmets, shoulder pads and equipment for newly added age levels.

The Vikings are a nonprofit, so besides registration fees, donations are their only other source of funding.

“Money goes a long way, especially in Pop Warner-level football,� Wilson said, “just because that amount of money could buy a whole team pads or a whole team helmets. I just thought they were going to be able to do a lot with that money.�

Since he left the Vikings’ ranks to play high school and then college football, Wilson has still visited his old Pop Warner club. He’ll play around with the kids, help out with some drills and represent the kind of star they want to become.

That’s fairly common for youth football teams. Donating NIL money is something different.

“We haven’t gotten a lot of that in years past,� Fraser said. “We’ve had plenty of people that have come through our program that have gone on and played college (football), but most of them, when they come back, they just give back with their time — not necessarily with money. He’s one of the first, and it’s definitely a lifesaver.�

Wilson hopes his donation serves as an example for other college athletes. Maybe in a time when the external view of college sports is tainted by cynicism around the transfer portal, rising spending and endless rule changes, this is a way to find a tangible positive.

“I just hope they’re able to see what I can do,� Wilson said. “Not everybody has the ability (to donate NIL earnings) because other people might be trying to take care of their family or other situations like that. Some people aren’t in the position to donate a large amount. But if they are, I feel like a lot of people in college football are kind of trending towards that and trying to better their own communities. That’s one thing that a lot of college football teams talk about: giving back to your community instead of just taking, taking, taking, taking all the time.�

Hearing Wilson talk like that is reminiscent of another philanthropic pass rusher to have come through Mizzou recently. Darius Robinson, who played for the Tigers from 2019-2023 before being drafted by the Arizona Cardinals, was similarly minded. He held a school supply giveaway at a Columbia church, funneling some of his NIL earnings back into his adopted hometown.

Transferring in over the winter, Wilson’s never worked with Robinson, though he has heard about his legacy around MU. And really, for Wilson, giving back is part of a more profound shift he’s experienced toward finding fulfillment outside of football.

The sport he plays has taken up a lot of his time and energy, but he’s finding more bandwidth for other endeavors. Wilson is launching a fitness app geared toward college students. He wants to help other athletes with developing their personal brands in the NIL world. He sees more to being a college football player than putting on pads and a jersey.

But did he always view it that way?

“I think of it like little chapters,� Wilson said. “First, you try to get your foot in the door, get a couple offers and you go to college. Then you’ve got to put your head back down again (and) grind. So in the beginning, no, I wasn’t really thinking about that. My whole goal was just to get in a position where I can showcase my skills. Once you realize you can do what you do typically and you can also add more on to what you usually do, that’s when I started realizing: I can be more for the community rather than just focus on myself.�

That’ll mark the Tigers’ 2025 season opener, an Aug. 28 matchup against Central Arkansas.

In the meantime, there will be plenty to examine during camp practices, from a high-profile position battle — you know the one — to the annual possibility of breakout players making an unexpected case for roles.

Here are five MU fall camp storylines the Post-Dispatch will have its eyes on.

The ‘when’ of the QB battle

The who, as far as the competitors go, has long since been established: Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and returner Sam Horn will battle to be Missouri’s starting quarterback. Pribula perhaps has an edge, but only a very slight one — and one that seems slimmer than previously assumed, based on word out of the team facility.

At some point in the coming weeks, the who, as far as the starter goes, will be settled. Coach Eli Drinkwitz will, at some point, pick a starter. Just as interesting a question, perhaps: When will that be?

Drinkwitz has wisely and clearly declined to fit a timeline to the quarterback competition, saying that he’ll only announce a starter once that player has clearly claimed the title. Theoretically, the battle could wrap up this week, or next week, or the one after — but what if it doesn’t wrap up during camp at all?

In 2023, the last time Mizzou held a quarterback competition, the race between Horn and Brady Cook dragged into the season opener. Cook received more of a workload during that game and expectedly won the job, but it’s debatable whether letting the competition take place during a regular-season game helped or hurt his standing as the starter. Is Drinkwitz OK with that happening again, or does the end of camp present something of a deadline for his decision?

Which defenders make it tough on the QBs?

Don’t expect the Tigers’ defensive players to make life easy for Horn and Pribula. Safety Jalen Catalon, a transfer from UNLV, made things especially tough during spring practices.

Who else creates headaches for the offense?

Marvin Burks Jr., who’s expected to start alongside Catalon on the last line of defense, is one candidate. Perhaps the most beneficial to the strength of MU’s defense would be takeaway-generation from the cornerback room.

That group struggled at times last season. Drey Norwood was passable and seems likely to hold on to a starting role this season. Neither Toriano Pride Jr. nor Nick Deloach Jr. could keep hold of the second starting spot, and Washington State transfer Stephen Hall arrived over the offseason to push that duo. Some fall camp havoc created by any of those players could have implications for regular-season playing time.

How many receivers will be in the picture?

Quarterbacks, check. Defensive backs, check. Now for the other part of the passing game: the receivers. How many of them will demonstrate they’re ready for a role this season?

There’s one core group of wide receivers that seems fairly established: Kevin Coleman Jr. in the slot, Joshua Manning and Marquis Johnson on the outside, then Daniel Blood off the bench. It’d be no surprise if those four take up the vast majority of targets, but there’ll be routes and passes up for grabs for at least a couple of others. Is that Illinois State transfer Xavier Loyd, who’s jumping back up to the FBS level? James Madison II, who redshirted as a freshman but ought to compete for more now? True freshmen Donovan Olugbode or Shaun Terry II?

The question extends to the tight end room as well. When healthy, starter Brett Norfleet presents great value as a receiving option. That hasn’t quite clicked for Jordon Harris, who’s entering his third season as a tight end. Do transfers Vince Brown II or Gavin Hoffman enter the conversation? The TEs could very well push their way into the receiving hierarchy, too.

Which redshirts burn early?

Related to a couple of names in the receiving section: Which true freshmen look ready for roles? Most of them will wind up redshirting, but there are always a couple who carve out roles as key backups or special teams players.

Olugbode and Terry are among the candidates. Running back Marquise Davis has a distinctly un-freshman physique. Defensive end Javion Hilson faces steep competition at his position group but ought to make a push. A defensive back like C.J. Bass III is often able to crack the special teams bubble.

All of those players have already earned their jersey numbers, which is the first rite of passage for newcomers to the program. Perhaps that’s a sign of roles to come.

Can the Tigers keep a clean bill of health?

A small number of players will enter camp at slightly less than 100%, or at least coming off significant injuries: center Connor Tollison (ACL), edge rusher Darris Smith (ACL), Norwood (Achilles) to name a few. Their recoveries have all gone as planned, or the program at least feels comfortable with where things stand.

But Smith’s injury, which occurred on a fairly innocuous practice rep last fall camp, was a rare example of a freak loss that can happen during the preseason. By blending luck and sports science, can MU keep something like that from happening again while bringing those recovering from injuries back up to full speed?

That might be a lot to ask for, but a clean bill of health heading into the opener against Central Arkansas would be a clear preseason victory for Mizzou.

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The buyout terms remain similar to Drinkwitz’s previous extension, which came on the heels of the 2023 football season. As part of the new deal, Drinkwitz has a larger salary pool to spend on his assistant coaches, which is expected to come into play soon with an extension for defensive coordinator Corey Batoon, at a minimum.

This is Drinkwitz’s third extension since he took the Mizzou job ahead of the 2020 season.

His salary for the 2025 season will remain the same: $9 million.

In 2026, that will bump up to $9.25 million. In 2028, he’ll receive another automatic raise to $9.5 million.

Last season, that figure tied Drinkwitz with Tennessee’s Josh Heupel and Mississippi’s Lane Kiffin for the 10th biggest salary in college football.

Should Drinkwitz leave MU between now and December 1, he’d owe the university a $5 million buyout. That number drops to $4 million before Dec. 1, 2027, then $3 million if he left in 2028.

And should Missouri fire Drinkwitz, it would have to pay out 75% of what’s left on his contract. At the moment, that would be a bit under $35 million — though the thought of a program dismissing a coach it just extended is outlandish.

Drinkwitz remains eligible for incentives based on win totals, bowl appearances, making the College Football Playoff and winning various coach of the year honors. He can receive at most $1.575 million in incentives for any season, though he wouldn’t reach that threshold unless the Tigers win a national title.

Under the terms of his new contract, Drinkwitz will have at least $12 million to spend on the rest of his coaching staff each season, including coordinators, position coaches, strength coaches, analysts, operations staff and executive assistants. Previously, he had $9.8 million to work with.

At Southeastern Conference media days in Atlanta last week, Drinkwitz suggested a contract extension — which would likely come with a raise — for defensive coordinator Corey Batoon will be on the way soon.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the continued belief in our vision for Mizzou football,� Drinkwitz said in a statement. “The Board of Curators, President (Mun) Choi, Laird Veatch and our donors and fans have shown a deep commitment to building a championship-caliber program. That means investing in the people throughout our building who work tirelessly for our student-athletes. I’m proud of the staff we’ve assembled and excited to keep pushing forward together.�

“The consistent progress we’ve seen under Coach Drinkwitz’s leadership is inspiring,� Veatch said in a statement. “This extension, along with increased investment in our coaching and support staff, reflects our commitment to sustaining success at the highest level. It’s all part of our ‘Will to Win’ — a clear statement that we’re building championship programs.�

Drinkwitz was named to the preseason watchlist for the Dodd Trophy, which is awarded at the end of each season to the nation’s best coach. It’s his second year in a row making the watchlist.

He is 38-24 through five seasons at Mizzou, which surpassed legendary coach Dan Devine’s program record for the most wins through the first five seasons of a coach’s tenure.

MU has won 21 games in the last two seasons.

The Tigers report Sunday for fall camp, with the first practice of the preseason coming Monday.

Eli ±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýHello everyone, and happy Thursday. Thanks for coming by this week's Mizzou chat. Sorry we weren't able to do this last week — the program we work with to let y'all submit questions went down, which makes a chat pretty much impossible to do. But we're back now.Ìý

And there was some news this morning: Mizzou has extended Eli Drinkwitz through the 2029 season. His salary remains the same but he now has more to spend on assistants, which makes sense given that I'm expecting an extension for Corey Batoon (if not others, too) to come through soon.Ìý

Now, your questions!

Tom o:ÌýI listen to a pod cast on the SEC. It ironically has given a lot of positive time to Missouri. In fact the co host( Uncle Shane) came up to the Missouri/ Oklahoma game and his pictures was flashed on the jumbo Tron. The show is now playing clips from SEC interviews at the recent SEC meeting. In one clip Billy Liucci (Texas A&M talked about upcoming games and when he reach Missouri said it I’d really not a SEC school. Peter Burns SEC commentator said there has never been anything special about Missouri and the coach is goofy. What is your experience with other people who cover the league when it comes to our reputation?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýUncle Shane has gained himself something of a cult following 'round here for being positive about Missouri, it seems. And of course there are fans and media (and fans who are "media") around the league who will say Mizzou doesn't belong in the SEC. Kind of funny that Liucci has joined that club — is A&M any more of a "true" SEC program? And what does that matter now in a time where Stanford, Cal and SMU are in the ACC?Ìý

As is evidenced by the preseason All-SEC teams and poll, it's not like MU is thought of very highly or very often in conference circles. Honestly, I don't think it matters. The Tigers were picked low in the poll. That's free motivation for Drinkwitz to use. He'll happily play the underdog card whenever he can, and I don't blame him for it.Ìý

But to be honest again, I don't have an especially grand take for you here. I don't pay attention to those talking points among my media peers. My job is to cover Missouri, and I'd rather dig into things on the field or in the athletic department than what somebody said to a camera about how the school fits in the league. I get that matters to fans, but I just don't think it's as real as so many other things we could focus on. It's why I hate the offseason. But that's a separate thing so I won't go off the rails too much in answering your question.Ìý

¸é³Ü²õ²õ:ÌýGood morning, Eli.. What skill sets does Sam Horn bring as quarterback? Is it his arm, mobility, leadership, etc?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThe arm is what jumps out to me. Of course every quarterback throws a ball well with a spiral and all that, but Horn's passes just look more aesthetically pleasing in the air. Don't know what it is, but when I'm watching practice, I can identify his throws without even seeing him throw it. He's decently mobile, too, though I don't think as much as Pribula. I don't have a read on either of their leadership styles. The area where Horn will need to take a leap from his 2023 QB competition performance will have to be reading defenses and the feel of things. That's what separated Brady Cook in '23. Horn has had a lot of time to watch film since then, so I'd assume that's improved — but we'll see.

Fly Man:ÌýGood morning Eli! Do you have a sense for how much Mizzou spends on football and basketball vs the rest of the SEC, Illinois, Nebraska, others?

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThat I don't, simply because there are some numbers that haven't been reported. For example, we know how much Mizzou spend on football and basketball NIL in 2024, but I haven't seen those numbers reported concretely for any other school. We know how much some other schools are devoting to rev share on each sport for this upcoming season, but not Mizzou. Hopefully at some point down the road we'll be able to get this sense, just not now. When you look at the results and recruiting, MU is certainly competitive, but that's not really what you're asking — more so a byproduct of what Drinkwitz and Dennis Gates are doing with what they're given.

Tom O:ÌýNever heard back from you regarding the opposing coaches comment in Lindy magazine that while Drink has done a good job recruiting he will not be able to keep it up. Interesting now when we see only 10 recruits so far. Do you buy Drink explanation especially when he lost so many recruits that he has courted for years.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThanks for asking this again, Tom. The transcript from the July 3 chat when we talked about this vanished from our site, but since then the recruiting situation hasn't improved so we can talk about it again.

Here's what I wrote then, about the opposing coach section of the Lindy's issue: "I'd push back on that particular narrative because it doesn't really matter what state talent comes from: the portal is the portal. Everyone likes a good in-state recruiting win, but that's worth little more than aesthetics. Who really cares if the guy who scores a winning touchdown came from Springfield, Missouri or any of the other 33 Springfields around the country? If the sole determinant of success was which state produced the most talent, it wouldn't have been 11 years since a school from Texas, Florida or California won a national title."

Since then, by which I mean last week, Drinkwitz has told fans to "relax" on recruiting worries and explained his approach. This whole story is worth reading to understand his philosophy toward player acquisition right now:

Do I buy it? Yes, mostly. High school recruiting has never mattered less nor been less efficient. Drinkwitz, meanwhile, has done well for himself in the portal. It seems logical that he would then try less at the less effective thing and try more at the more effective thing when it comes to building a roster. Now, the 2025 class might still be shaping up a little worse than even he wanted, but again, what does that really matter? Will we be sitting here in 2028, when that group will be juniors, lamenting a down year in recruiting? Unlikely, if you ask me. The portal is just so much more important at this point.

Keith:ÌýThings are changing so fast on the college football landscape that is hard to keep up at times. Do you forsee a time in the future where the power brokers (SEC and Big Ten) have to do everything they can (including bigger rev shares for bigger name programs) to keep conferences together? Surely a school like 'Bama could strike out on their own and make a deal nearly as big as Notre Dame's without having to carry the weight of Miss State around, for example. Or is it possible do you think for some of the conferences to eventually boot out the weak sisters, etc.? Offseason talk to be sure, but then heck, it is the offseason! Thanks Eli.

±á´Ç´Ú´Ú:ÌýThe cynical view of the future would be that the blue bloods pull away from the rest to form a "super league" or something similar together. Not necessarily the independent route, but something a little more jointly exclusive, in a phrase. Sure, Alabama would probably do OK as an independent like Notre Dame. But even ND has joined conferences in sports besides football — that framework is becoming essential for survival in college football. Alabama would still need to have Georgia and Texas and Florida and Auburn on its schedule to be as hyper-relevant as it is. Still, you have a point: Is there a time when Bama doesn't want to have Mississippi State in its league? Or Ohio State doesn't want Rutgers around? Or the SEC and Big Ten together don't care about sticking with the Big 12 and ACC? Or those collective Power Four conferences ditch the rest of the NCAA? This is certainly a fear. Already, the Big Ten and SEC have pulled away in resources and competitive depth/quality. What if they formalize that in some way, expanding on the exclusive control they already have of the future of the CFP?

It's all certainly possible. Money dictates everything now, and if a model emerges that would maximize money for the best schools at the expensive of the schools even just one tier below, they sure will consider it. I don't think anything like this would necessarily happen soon, but I also didn't think we'd be in a world with the Los Angeles schools in the Big Ten and the Bay Area schools in the ACC and the Arizona schools in the Big 12.Ìý

And that'll do it for this week's chat! We'll talk again next week, and by that point, fall camp will be underway. Until next time...

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The quarterback competition will get plenty of press here and elsewhere because, well, it’s a quarterback competition. Yet the race to anchor the left edge of Mizzou’s offensive line is also important to the program’s offensive retooling, and there are six contenders heading into the preseason.

“I think that’s probably the biggest question mark on our team: the offensive line and how that comes together,� coach Eli Drinkwitz said last week.

This is the second season in a row in which MU needs a new starter at left tackle. Javon Foster held down the spot through the 2023 season, then Southern Methodist transfer Marcus Bryant arrived and won the job last year.

Some of the suitors this time around have battled for the job previously. Others are transfers or rising up the depth chart after past campaigns spent as reserves.

“(We’re) going to have a really good competition at the left tackle position,� Drinkwitz said. “... There’s a lot of guys there. We’ve just got to figure out who’s going to be the right one for us and let them grow into that position.�

His last point there, about the starter growing into the position, is important to note before getting into the contenders. Most of Missouri’s left tackle options have multiple years of eligibility remaining — there’s a chance the Tigers can find a starter not just for this season but 2026 (or even 2027), too.

There’s obvious appeal to that kind of situation, but the risk is having a less-experienced starter blocking on the quarterback’s blind side.

Jayven Richardson, listed as a redshirt junior, is one such multi-year option. The 6-foot-6, 313-pound lineman spent the most time with the starters during spring practice, but that might not mean all that much when fall camp starts next week.

Richardson transferred to MU from Hutchinson Community College last year and competed with Bryant for the left tackle job. Though he didn’t wind up starting, he played 57 snaps there over the course of the 2024 season.

His most experienced competitor is redshirt senior Jaylen Early, who transferred in from Florida State. At 6-foot-4, 321 pounds, Early has six starts under his belt from his time with the Seminoles.

Early is versatile and has played multiple spots along the offensive line. Last season, he played 117 snaps at right tackle, 117 at right guard and 15 at left tackle, according to Pro Football Focus.

He was a decent run blocker but didn’t hold up especially well in pass protection for a dastardly 2-10 Florida State team. Early allowed 13 quarterback pressures in 180 pass-blocking situations, which isn’t great. Per PFF, 386 power conference linemen were on the field for at least 180 pass-blocking snaps last season, and Early’s 92.8% protection rate comes in 359th.

It’s not like one stat is the be-all, end-all with the left tackle battle or that Early was the only FSU player who struggled at times last season. Rather, it’s metrics like that which show why he’s not an automatic starter despite transferring over from a big-name program.

The other key transfer in the left tackle mix is redshirt sophomore Johnny Williams IV, who joined the Tigers from West Virginia. With up to three years of eligibility remaining, he’s perhaps the best on-paper blend of experience and upside.

Williams, who stands 6-foot-7, 327 pounds, spent all 157 of his offensive snaps last season at left tackle. His two heaviest workloads came in midseason games against Kansas State and Arizona. In those matchups, he allowed no sacks and only two quarterback hurries — both in the K-State matchup. His PFF run blocking grade was stellar in the Arizona game.

Given their experience, that trio comprises the most likely starting left tackles this season for Missouri. The versatility of a lineman like Early makes him a prime candidate to fill in at other spots, too, as needed.

Still, during both spring practices and SEC media days last week, Drinkwitz has made clear that options from within the depth chart will have a chance to compete for the left tackle job.

The most well-known is redshirt sophomore Logan Reichert, who at 6-foot-6, 344 pounds has earned the nickname “Big Show.� The former four-star recruit out of the Kansas City area has yet to find a breakthrough into a starting role. He played 56 offensive snaps in 2024, with 43 at left guard and 13 at right guard.

Reichert missed some valuable bowl practices with a leg injury he was still recovering from during the spring, so it’s difficult to gauge exactly where he stands. Either of the guard spots would be more of a natural fit for Reichert, but Cayden Green is the undisputed starter at left guard and Michigan transfer Dominick Giudice has won the right guard job.

Brandon Solis, a redshirt sophomore who has yet to see the field through two seasons, is also in the mix. So is Whit Hafer, a redshirt freshman who played three snaps as a tight end last season before switching to the offensive line over the winter.

With Green, Giudice and center Connor Tollison locked into their roles heading into camp — plus Wake Forest transfer Keagen Trost at right tackle — the Tigers have some wiggle room to try out left tackle options during camp. But like with quarterback, it’s not the kind of position where Mizzou can afford to find only half a solution.

“That interior for us feels pretty strong,� Drinkwitz said. “It’s just those edge positions that we got to continue to work.�

Instead, Tollison stayed with Mizzou, where he’ll be one of the program’s most important players in 2025.

“I’m like 85%,� Tollison said last week at Southeastern Conference media days in Atlanta. “Still need some strength back in my leg, but running and jumping has been good.�

Coach Eli Drinkwitz said that even though the lineman is “not quite full speed,� he doesn’t anticipate any issues during camp. MU players will report for fall camp Sunday and begin practicing Monday.

Tollison will be Missouri’s most experienced offensive player this season, with 35 starts and 2,356 snaps under his belt. He’s also one of the best returning centers in college football: Pro Football Focus’ grading algorithm pinned Tollison as the fifth-best run-blocking center among power conference teams last season. He’s one of the top three in that table returning for 2025.

Tollison will be the Tigers’ first four-year starter along the offensive line since Evan Boehm did so between 2012 and 2015 and the first four-year starter at center since Adam Spieker’s 2004-07 tenure.

With three new starters on the offensive line and a new quarterback, Tollison’s stability in the middle will be beneficial for Mizzou.

Even while he was on the shelf for the tail end of the 2024 season and held out of significant work during spring practices, Tollison was a stable presence. As he retold the story of his injury, he was matter-of-fact with a dry humor toward the tear.

The injury came while he was out blocking in space against the Sooners, a game MU wound up winning 30-23 on Nov. 9. Tollison felt the dreaded sensation in his knee and went down.

“I knew right away I was done for,� he said.

Back in the locker room, a trainer told Tollison he probably had torn his ACL.

“Yeah, I feel that,� he said.

Drake Heisemeyer, who’s since graduated, filled in at center for the rest of the 2024 season. During spring ball, Michigan transfer Dominick Giudice — who’s now penciled in to start at right guard — and Tristan Wilson played center in Tollison’s absence.

Tollison didn’t seem to find the prospect of focusing on rehab too daunting or depressing.

“Man, it’s honestly not been too bad,� he said. “We were going to go into the offseason regardless. Mine didn’t have as much football — just more rehab. I just looked at it as an opportunity to get better and focus on myself a little bit.�

He spent the spring leaning into his understanding of the game even more than usual. Tollison already knew more about the design and tactical underpinnings of Mizzou’s offense than most of his teammates and developed a likable reputation among the coaching staff for bringing them hand-drawn plays he thought might work.

It seems that hobby leveled up during his rehab.

“Connor has told me in the past that he wants to be an offensive coordinator,� Drinkwitz said. “So I’ve actually been extremely proud of him for the amount of time he’s put in, studying tape, watching plays, criticizing Coach (Kirby) Moore’s playcalling in the spring. (He) sits back there like, ‘Pfft, bad call, man.’�

Maybe it’s a sign Tollison is ready to get back on the field. He doesn’t expect the transition back to full speed and full contact to be too difficult.

“It’s really not that hard,� Tollison said. “I feel like as a football player, I’ve often done a lot of things not at 100%, so it’s nothing new.�

Gates began his coaching career as a skills development coach for the Los Angeles Clippers, working with pro prospects like Jason Crowe Sr.

While the elder Crowe didn’t stick with the Clippers, he built a lengthy playing career overseas. And while he was out on the grassroots circuit with his son, he remembered the positive impression Gates made all those years ago.

Despite getting a late start in the recruitment of the younger Crowe, Gates wooed him as the top Mizzou recruit since Michael Porter Jr. as part of the Porter family package for Cuonzo Martin.

Crowe lacks the rangy frame that NBA scouts covet, but he should flourish in Missouri’s fast-paced offense with his ability to score every which way.

Earlier, Gates got a commitment from Webster Groves guard Scottie Adkinson, a top 50 prospect in the Class of 2027. Adkinson loved the vibe he felt during his many unofficial visits to Mizzou, and Gates gained the confidence of Scottie’s parents.

These recruiting victories were a big deal for a program looking to build upon last season’s NCAA Tournament team and push the 8-24 fiasco of 2023-24 further out of mind.

This summer success reminded the industry that Gates remains an elite recruiter. Expect these commitments to spur more blue-chip additions, considering top players want to play with other top players.

Gates has elite people skills. He gains and maintains connections. Evidence of this knack is everywhere.

For instance, he checked out some NBA Summer League action to support former Missouri stars Kobe Brown as he continues his pro career and Tamar Bates and Caleb Grill as they get started.

But Gates looks after walk-ons too. Center Mabor Majak spent four years with Gates, two at Cleveland State and two at Missouri. He returned to Boone County to become a graduate assistant coach after finishing his career at Coastal Carolina.

Forward Danny Stephens never saw the floor while at Missouri during two injury-marred seasons before transferring to Western Illinois with Gates’ encouragement.

“The father side of him wants me to go and play, to get that experience,� Stephens told Muddy River Sports. “He doesn’t think I’m done with him yet. He would like to see me back after a year or two.�

Gates built a relationship with Missouri coaching legend Norm Stewart, and he is doing the same with many stars from the Stewart era.

Of course, staying connected to his top players each season is most critical. After last season’s rebound season, Gates prioritized keeping forward Mark Mitchell and guard Anthony Robinson II to lead the team this season.

Both could have bolted for big dollars elsewhere, but both stayed put and trusted that the program can launch them into pro careers.

Veteran forward Jacob Crews also returns after progressing last season in his off-the-bench role. Gates stuck with Crews through his ups and downs and saw him emerge as a more consistent performer.

Gates set up the 2025-26 roster to give returning forward Trent Pierce a chance to join Robinson in a Year 3 breakout. Pierce flashed elite shooting and passing skills last season, but he must become more assertive at both ends of the court.

This season, he will get that opportunity

Gates created bigger potential roles for sophomores T.O. Barrett and Annor Boateng after they played sparingly last season. Barrett played fearlessly in his limited minutes, so he will be lots of fun to watch.

Redshirt freshman center Trent Burns could become an interesting X-factor after sitting out last season. Missouri implemented more zone defenses last season, and the 7-foot-5 Burns’ massive wingspan should prove useful.

Missouri recruited around its incumbents after last season, not over them. Gates is counting on continuity within his program to pay off.

He filled roster needs in a portal class that included aggressive guard Sebastian Mack (USC), physical center Shawn Phillips Jr. (Arizona State) and versatile forward Jevon Porter (Loyola Marymount).

Former Detroit Mercy scorer Jayden Stone was a sneaky addition to the backcourt after sitting out last season at West Virginia with an injury, and former Oklahoma center Luke Norweather will add depth.

Gates recruited just two high school players in the Class of ’25, maintaining his regional ties by landing point guard Aaron Rowe from Columbia’s Tolton High School and power forward Nicholas Randall from ¹û½´ÊÓƵ via Compass Prep in Arizona.

Any concerns about that light recruiting class have been set aside by Missouri’s early success with the 2026 and ’27 classes.

The Tigers have a bunch of official visits lined up for this fall, so Gates will keep trying to strengthen relationships while building rosters.