Missouri QB Beau Pribula still remembers lying on the turf on October 25 against Vanderbilt, his ankle painfully twisted in a “non-fractured dislocation”, fearing he might not walk again for weeks. In that instant, the 2025 season, which had been building momentum, felt like it could end entirely. Even days later, the memory lingers.

“When it happened at Vanderbilt, and I was on that cart, I didn’t think I was going to be able to even walk again for a long time,” he said to the press on Tuesday.

In the third quarter against Vanderbilt, during a fourth-down run, his legs were twisted in a brutal tackle, leaving him on the turf as medical staff rushed in. Fortunately, there were no broken bones, as HC Eli Drinkwitz shared post-game. The ankle was dislocated, called a taekwondo-type injury, which had to be popped back in. However, his return timeline was unclear.

For the first two weeks, he was non-weight-bearing, taking it step by step under the watchful eyes of trainers and medical staff. Day by day, he progressed from walking to jogging, slowly leaving the boot behind. Constant rehab and careful monitoring allowed him to rebuild strength and mobility, pushing limits without risking further damage. Meanwhile, backup QB Matt Zollers handled the offense in his absence, preparing to take the reins if Pribula couldn’t return. By November 21, just a day before the Oklahoma matchup, Pribula was cleared from the injury report, signaling that he was ready to take the field once again.

“Once I was able to start walking again and we were able to gradually go from walking to jogging and out of the boot and everything, that’s when it kind of became realistic,” he added.

He also credited his recovery to his medical staff, trainers, and teammates. Working with them every day, he made constant progress. He would push his limits, but not too far to aggravate the injury.

For the next two games, QB Matt Zollers steered the offense. Backup QB Matt Zollers was preparing to take the QB1 spot if Pribula were listed out. However, on November 21, a day ahead of the Oklahoma match, Pribula was removed from the injury report, and he was good to go.

HC Eli Drinkwitz calls Beau Pribula “courageous.”

By the Oklahoma game came knocking, Beau Pribula was ready to take the Sooners on the field. On Saturday, he completed 20-of-36 attempts, throwing for 231 yards. Naturally, the run game was not on full display, as he recorded eight carries for negative yardage. However, head coach Eli Drinkwitz was proud.

“I thought he was courageous,” head coach Eli Drinkwitz told the media on Tuesday. “Didn’t have any issues taking off running. I thought he did a nice job of understanding the environment, the system, putting us in the right situation.”

Although they lost, 17-6,  Beau Pribula remains grateful for an impressive and quick recovery that could have resulted in a far worse situation.

“From a mindset of I don’t think I’m going to be able to walk for a long time to playing in the game…Just super blessed.”