COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri has its next man up.
Former Arizona State and Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne will join the Tigers this summer to back up starter Brady Cook, serving as a veteran bit of insurance for a team with its sights set on making it to the postseason.
Pyne didn’t play much for the Sun Devils in 2023 as he battled injuries. In 17 career appearances across his tenures with Arizona State and the Fighting Irish, he’s thrown for 2,530 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Because of past injuries and redshirts, Pyne is expected to have three seasons of eligibility remaining even though he was in the same recruiting class as Cook.
Pyne made the rare decision to focus on academics, transferring from Arizona State back to Notre Dame to finish his degree this semester, delaying the window for him to join his new team until the summer.
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Pyne reportedly was in Columbia over the weekend, which is when he committed to MU. ESPN was the first to report his decision.
Mizzou searched the transfer portal for a reserve quarterback after planned backup Sam Horn underwent Tommy John surgery, which will keep him out of action for upward of 12 to 14 months. The lack of depth behind Cook was an immediate cause for concern.
Horn, as a highly touted baseball prospect, could choose to pursue a professional career on the diamond, too, which makes Pyne’s future ability to compete for the starting job after Cook’s final season appealing to Missouri.