Missouri isn’t just knocking on the SEC door—they’re ready to kick it down. Under Eliah Drinkwitz, Missouri’s Tigers have defied expectations with consecutive 10-win seasons, top-25 rankings, and impressive recruiting classes. Now, with quarterbacks Beau Pribula and Sam Horn leading a veteran-laden roster, they’re poised for a breakout year. Add in a hidden gem of a schedule that plays right into their hands, and Missouri might finally break its playoff drought this year.

Eliah Drinkwitz has turned the tide on the recruiting trail, and it’s showing. Seasoned players like Zion Young are stepping up, and impactful additions like Chris McClellan and Sterling Webb bolster the roster. Missouri isn’t just adding players; they’re building a competitive SEC core. This upward trajectory is noted by analytics expert Kelley Ford of KFord Ratings, who joins the SEC Football Podcast to break down what’s ahead for 2025.

“So in the Eli Drinkwitz era, this is the second-best Missouri team by my model, at least projecting coming into the year. I like the defense. The defense is number 21 for me. I think where I have a little bit of reservation—or the model has some reservation right now—is on the offensive side of the ball, which is number 39. That’s taking a little bit of a step back from last year, where they were number 27,” Ford said. Now, even though the offense looks a bit lower in the ranks, Drinkwitz did try to put strong pieces into his roster, like bringing in receivers like Kevin Coleman Jr., Xavier Loyd, and RB Ahmad Hardy. But what’s really working in their favor is their easy schedule.

“Now, what’s helping Missouri, or what’s in Mizzou’s favor in terms of projections of conference standings—not their power rating—is that from a schedule difficulty standpoint within conference play, it’s number 14 out of 16. So Missouri has the third-easiest SEC conference slate,” Ford pointed out. That makes perfect sense. Missouri’s schedule is much kinder this year, avoiding tough matchups against Texas, Tennessee, Ole Miss, LSU, Georgia, and Florida. That’s a significant advantage. Even better, their first road game isn’t until week eight at Auburn. Until then, they enjoy a six-game home stand in Columbia.

Now, their game against Alabama might turn out problematic for them. But let’s not forget that it’s the same team that lost against Oklahoma last year. Apart from that, 4 other games might be tough on Eliah Drinkwitz’s squad. “I’ve got four games this season that are projected to be one-score games for Missouri: South Carolina, as I just mentioned; at Auburn in week eight; week 11, Texas A&M comes to Columbia; and then in week 14, a trip to Fayetteville,” Ford highlights. But if they win those close games, things might turn around for them. “So, I mean, as it is for many teams—if you win your one-possession games, you win your close games—you’re certainly going to have a season that you’re excited about.”

But here’s the kicker: despite an easy slate, Ford’s landing Missouri with just 5 win games. “Even though it’s number 14 out of 16, there’s still just a 30% chance to win at least five games in conference play…I’ve got four and four as the most likely for the Tigers,” Ford said.

Now, with this grueling prediction, there’s another misery waiting for Eliah Drinkwitz.

Eliah Drinkwitz’s QB1 battle is in jeopardy

Missouri’s quarterback competition is fierce, with Coach Drinkwitz praising Sam Horn’s mature handling of the situation. Sam Horn, a seasoned Tiger, now vies for the starting spot against transfer Beau Pribula (Penn State). Instead of expecting the starting role, Drinkwitz lauded Horn’s unselfish approach, highlighting his strong team spirit, even while not guaranteed a starting position. Last season, Horn also sat behind Brady Cook and Drew Pyne, waiting patiently for his chance.

Eliah Drinkwitz described the team’s effort to keep Sam Horn engaged last season after he had to sit out the entire season because of his Tommy John surgery. “We traveled with Sam the last six weeks of the season, just so he could continue to be around the team and know what it looks like to be on the road as a quarterback,” Eliah said. “And, you know, Sam’s always been a guy that the guys get along with and been a great teammate. Now it’s just his opportunity to compete for the job and adopt some of those things that Brady did really well from a leadership standpoint, but also just be him, you know, be uniquely him. And he knows what that looks like.” Now, it’s finally his chance to take up the reins.

But it looks like that’s not happening anytime soon. Sam Horn, Missouri’s quarterback and right-handed pitcher, will showcase his skills at the MLB Draft Combine (June 17-21, Chase Field, Phoenix). Major League Baseball confirmed his participation, putting him among 322 draft-eligible prospects (180 college, 142 high school). Ranked 124th overall on MLB.com, Horn balances football and baseball. While a July 13 draft selection doesn’t guarantee a pro contract, it could impact Missouri’s quarterback depth.

Behind Horn and Pribula, Missouri’s quarterback options remain thin. Four-star freshman Matt Zollers showed promise in spring drills, but Coach Drinkwitz reiterated in April that the competition is primarily between Horn and Pribula. As Zollers, still recovering from a leg injury that ended his senior season early, is developing but probably won’t play immediately.

Now the ball is in Eliah Drinkwitz’s court. He might lose Horn forever if he doesn’t give him a proper opportunity to start. As MLB interest grows, Horn might take the leap. Delaying will cost Drinkwitz a phenomenal two-sport star.