Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Eyes Ole Miss Transfer Portal QB as Beau Pribula Replacement

Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz recently lost his starting quarterback, Beau Pribula, who hit the transfer portal ahead of the Tigers’ Gator Bowl defeat to Virginia. Freshman Matt Zollers started the Gator Bowl as a result, throwing for just 101 yards and one touchdown.

After transferring from Penn State in 2024, Pribula finished his first and only season with the Tigers with 1,941 yards, 11 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. The quarterback also suffered an ankle injury against Vanderbilt that kept him out for two games.

Eli Drinkwitz’s Missouri Hones in on Beau Pribula Replacement

Following the departure of Pribula — and with the future of Sam Horn up in the air — Missouri is reportedly interested in Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons. Simmons started the season as the starter before being usurped by Trinidad Chambliss.

Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons plans to transfer after College Football Playoff run https://t.co/BZaG5Iec2T pic.twitter.com/tyOYZKMmx3

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) January 3, 2026

“Ole Miss QB Austin Simmons plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per an ESPN source. He’s entering with a no contact tag, with Missouri as the favorite to land him. He’s expected to stay with Ole Miss through the CFP.” revealed ESPN’s Pete Thamel.

Simmons was one of the top 300 high school recruits in the Class of 2023; however, after sitting behind Jaxson Dart in his freshman year, the Rebels’ quarterback still has two years of eligibility left after redshirting in his true freshman year.

During his two starts this season, Simmons tossed for 576 yards, three touchdowns, and four interceptions. However, after suffering an ankle injury that kept him out for two games, the Ferris State transfer took over as the starter.

Despite hitting the transfer portal, the Ole Miss backup is going to remain with the team ahead of the rest of their playoff run. The Rebels take on the Miami Hurricanes next week, following their Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia, in which Simmons did not feature.

“Sources told ESPN’s Pete Thamel that Missouri is Simmons’ likely landing spot, and that he’s entering the transfer portal with a no-contact tag, meaning other schools aren’t permitted to contact him.”

Meanwhile, Drinkwitz and the Tigers suffered a slugfest defeat against Virginia, with Zollers barely recording over 100 passing yards after the Missouri head coach publicly backed his freshman quarterback ahead of the game.

“We are excited for Matt to be our QB of the Gator Bowl! He’s READY!! LFG!!” Drinkwitz wrote on X ahead of the game. The Tigers announced recently that they had re-signed the freshman quarterback, while also losing some key receiving options.

Yesterday, it was announced that Missouri receiver Daniel Blood had entered the transfer portal. He became the fourth Tigers’ receiver to enter the portal. This included Donovan Olugbode, who is ranked 77th in the nation according to PFSN WR Impact Grades.

Meanwhile, star receiver Kevin Coleman Jr. is also out of eligibility. Ranking 18th nationally  with an impact grade of 81.6, Coleman recorded 66 receptions for 732 yards and one touchdown. The receiver was also their most targeted option, with 84 targets on the season.

With the Tigers losing 22 players from the 2025 roster to the transfer portal, Drinkwitz will have a lot of work to do in the offseason rebuilding the team that started the season 6-1. However, it would be the perfect opportunity for Simmons to take over as the starter.