Ex-Arizona St., Notre Dame QB Drew Pyne to transfer to Missouri
In a phone interview with ESPN on Sunday, former quarterback Drew Pyne, of Arizona State and Notre Dame, announced his transfer to Missouri.
Pyne stated that he promised to travel to Columbia this weekend, the only location he had ever been. After the spring semester, he plans to enroll and anticipates having three years left of eligibility.
Arriving as an ESPN 300 prospect, he went 8-2 as a starter at Notre Dame to open his career. In addition to studying as a regular student and working out five days a week with a trainer, he returned to Notre Dame this semester to receive his degree.
Pyne claimed that having time off from a program allowed him to search for the “perfect situation,” which he claimed he discovered at Missouri.
He told ESPN, “Missouri stood out from the beginning.” “The program is gaining significant traction as one of the best in the SEC and the nation. Having spoken with the coaches while on campus, I can see why they
“They are going to be a major player in college football, in my opinion. In any way I can, I hope to help with it.”
In 2024, Pyne’s most likely role will be to support multiyear Missouri starter Brady Cook. Cook was described by Pyne as a “good buddy” who he had met at Manning Passing Academy. After that, he anticipates having two more years of eligibility and will compete for the first position.
Pyne is one of the most productive backup quarterbacks in the SEC going into the 2024 campaign. With 11 starts, he has passed for 2,530 yards in his career. He had a 4-1 record versus AP Top 25 opponents while attending Notre Dame. He completed 64.6% of his passes in 2022 and threw for 22 touchdowns with six interceptions.
His lone season at Arizona State (2023) was ruined by injuries as he only participated in two games (2023), starting one of them against USC, and completed 49 passes. Although going into camp as the overwhelming favorite to start, injuries swiftly disrupted his season, and after throwing for two touchdowns against the Trojans on September 23, he was never seen on the field again.
Following the season, he went through the NCAA transfer portal and decided to return to Notre Dame to complete his American studies degree, with a business economics minor, for uncommon academic reasons.
He described his return to Notre Dame for the semester as “a good little recharge.”
“I’ve been able to find my real motivation, I have a real itch to play again,” Pyne said. “After going and seeing Missouri, I can’t wait to play again and throw on a helmet.”
Missouri went 11-2 last season, including a Cotton Bowl victory over Ohio State. Along with Cook, one of the SEC’s most established quarterbacks, the Tigers have the country’s top wide receiver in Luther Burden III.
Missouri is expected to start the 2024 season ranked in the top 20. But one of the team’s needs was an experienced backup behind Cook, as sophomore quarterback Sam Horn is expected to miss the 2024 football season after Tommy John surgery
