When Sam Horn opted to have Tommy John surgery, putting him on the shelf for at least a year, Missouri knew it was going to have to go quarterback shopping in the transfer portal. The Tigers didn''t take long. After a weekend visit to Columbia, former Notre Dame and Arizona State signal caller Drew Pyne has committed to the Tigers he confirmed to PowerMizzou.com early Sunday afternoon.
"I chose Missouri because of the program’s momentum which showed it could be one of the best in the SEC, which means you are one of be best in the country," Pyne said. "Being on campus, meeting the team and talking to the coaches, I understood why they had a great season last year and believe strongly they will continue to be a big time player in college football.
As a redshirt sophomore at Notre Dame in 2022 Pyne threw for 2000 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions in 11 games. The Irish were 9-4 that year, but Pyne was 8-2 as a starter. In his last game at Notre Dame, Pyne was 23/26 for 318 yards and three touchdowns in a loss to USC. He entered the portal prior to the bowl game win over South Carolina.
He ended up at Arizona State, but Pyne played in just two games for the Sun Devils. Head coach Kenny Dillingham said Pyne was dealing with "three different injuries" which caused him to miss time. Because of that, there's optimism he will get the year of eligibility back and has three seasons to play.
That made him an ideal fit for Missouri. The Tigers don't need a starter in 2024 as Brady Cook is one of the country's better returning quarterbacks. But Cook will be done after this season and Horn (who has thrown just eight passes in two seasons and will be coming off complete UCL reconstruction) and true freshman Aidan Glover are the only scholarship quarterbacks on Missouri's roster after Cook leaves.
"I am hoping to contribute to that however I can and I am very excited and thankful to have the opportunity to learn from Coach Moore and Drinkwitz and be a part of this brotherhood. MIZ!," Pyne wrote in a message.
Pyne will return to South Bend to finish his coursework and plans to get back to Columbia for summer workouts in June.
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