Missouri QB and Dodgers draft pick Sam Horn suffers devastating injury after one snap in season opener

Missouri quarterback Sam Horn suffered a devastating injury on Friday night as he hurt his knee on his first snap of the season.

Horn, who was also drafted this summer by the LA Dodgers, entered the game around the five-minute mark in the first quarter and scampered for six yards on a designed run.

But the play ended with a Central Arkansas defender leading their helmet into Horn's knee, and he remained down after the play before being helped off of the field.

Horn did not return to the game, and later appeared on the Tigers´ sideline with crutches and a brace on his knee.

Following the game, Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said that Horn would be receiving an MRI to assess the severity of the injury, adding that the quarterback would be 'out an extended period of time.'

Drinkwitz also said he was 'very disappointed and sad' regarding Horn's injury.

Horn, a right-handed pitcher on the baseball diamond, was selected in the 17th round of the 2025 MLB Draft after posting a 4.22 ERA in just five starts last season for Mizzou's baseball team.

He was allowed to keep playing football at Missouri after he signed with the Dodgers and was given a $497,500 signing bonus this summer. 

While his injury ruled him out for the rest of Missouri's season opener, it opened the door for fellow quarterback Beau Pribula, whom he had been battling for playing time.

Missouri had planned for Horn and Pribula to share playing time on Friday, but the latter got an extended run under center as he impressed in a 61-6 win.

He ultimately finished with 283 yards and two touchdown through the air, and notched another 65 yards and two scores on the ground.

'I knew he prepared well in fall camp,' Drinkwitz said. 'I tried to tell everybody that we had two quarterbacks that can win football games, and I fully expected that to be the case. I thought he played, honestly, pretty well.'

'You know it´s something I´ve been waiting for for a long time, just an opportunity like this,' Pribula, a transfer from Penn State, said after making his first start in college.

'I was just extremely excited. A little jittery in the hotel, but once I got to the stadium, I was really excited just to get out here and play with these guys.'

The Tigers put up 560 yards of offense in the victory, while Central Arkansas tallied just 229 yards of offense.

Missouri will host Kansas on September 6.