What Sam Horn's MLB Draft Selection Could Mean for Mizzou Football

Sam Horn now has a decision to make.

The Missouri Tigers pitcher, who is also in a starting quarterback competition for MU's football team, was selected in Round 17 of the MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Horn will have until July 28 to decide whether or not he wants to sign a contract with Los Angeles.

 "I don't know how many guys are able to do that; play elite level quarterback in the SEC and also be on the mound and throw 96 and strike out batters," head football coach Eli Drinkwitz said in an April press conference.

With the later selection for Horn, it's less likely he will end up signing the professional contract this season. Another year of collegiate baseball, proving that he's fully recovered from Tommy John surgery he underwent in early 2024 should put him significantly higher in next year's draft.

The uncertainty of whether or not he'd actually end up signing with the professionals likely kept MLB teams away. He was taken much later than his consensus evaluation, being rated by ESPN as the No. 94 overall prospect in the draft pool.

He's already spent his career at MU splitting his time between football and baseball, though the professional schedule would be more difficult to manage, and would extend through spring practices along with the beginning of fall camp for the football program.

One of the primary reasons Horn chose Missouri as a high school prospect was because the school would allow him to play both football and baseball. Out of high school, he was rated as a four-star quarterback by 247Sports, and the No. 162 prospect in the baseball class by Perfect Game.

"Which is something that we talked about in the recruiting process," Drinkwitz said of Horn being able to play both football and baseball at MU. "There's other schools that wouldn't let him do that. We said, 'No, you're going to be able to do both here, and do both at a really high level, and don't choose until you have to.'"

It would be possible for Horn to play football for MU in the fall, then professional baseball in the spring.

Russell Wilson is the most famous example of this, playing in the Colorado Rockies organization in the summers of 2010 and 2011, then playing football in the fall for NC State in 2010 and Wisconsin in 2011.

Horn missed all of last football season, and part of the baseball season, as he recovered from a UCL injury that required that Tommy John surgery.

After recovering, he was able to participate in a limited fashion in Missouri's practices ahead of the Music City Bowl in December. He then participated in spring football practices and the baseball season simultaneously.

"I thought he took advantage of his rehab reps in bowl practice and really continued that throughout spring," head football coach Eli Drinkwitz said of Horn in the spring. "I thought he managed the offense well, led really well, made good decisions."

In the unlikely event Horn immediately enters professional baseball, leaving behind Missouri football, it leaves Penn State transfer Beau Pribula as the clear starting quarterback. Pribula was rated by 247Sports as the 12th-best quarterback available in the transfer portal this offseason. Both Pribula and Horn have two years of eligibility remaining.

Horn immediately leaving would force MU to rely on a true freshman, four-star prospect Matt Zollers, as its backup. Horn served as the immediate backup in 2023. In 2024 as Horn dealt with injury, it was veteran Drew Pyne, who transferred away to Bowling Green this offseason.

Zollers is seen as the future of the quarterback position for the program, but would create some uncertainty if he had to be the backup this season.

"I was very impressed with Matt Zollers," Drinkwitz said after spring practices. "Very impressed with where he’s at throughout spring and know that every bit of arm talent, natural leadership ability, athleticism and playmaking ability is there. I look forward to watching him develop."

Horn's decision of whether or not to enter the professionals will come within the next two weeks. His decision will be indicative of his plans and commitment going forward.