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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Former Arizona State and Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pine is transferring to Missouri, he told ESPN in a phone interview Sunday.
Pine said he has committed to a trip to Colombia this weekend, the only place he has been. He plans to enroll after the spring semester and is expected to have three years of his eligibility remaining.
He began his career at Notre Dame and went 8-2 as a starter after joining the ESPN 300 as a freshman. He returned to Notre Dame this semester to complete his degree and is spending the semester as a full-time student while training with a trainer five days a week.
Pine said his time away from the program gave him the opportunity to look for the “right situation,” which he found at Missouri State.
“Missouri State stood out from the beginning,” he told ESPN. “This program has a lot of momentum to be one of the best programs in the SEC and one of the best programs in the country. Being on campus and talking to the coaches, I think why they did so well last year. I can see why we had a great season.”
“I strongly believe these guys are going to be big players in college football, and I want to contribute to that in any way I can.”
A more likely scenario for Pyne would be to back up multi-year starting pitcher Brady Cook at Missouri in 2024. Pine called Cook a “good friend” he met at Manning Passing Academy. From there, he expects to have two years of eligibility remaining and will compete for a starting spot.
Pine will enter the 2024 season as one of the most productive backup quarterbacks in the SEC. He started 11 games and threw for 2,530 yards for his career. During his time at Notre Dame, he went 4-1 against AP Top 25 teams. In 2022, he completed 64.6% of his passes with 22 touchdowns and six interceptions.
His 2023 season at Arizona State was marred by injuries, as he played in just two games, including his only start against USC, and completed just 49 passes. Although he emerged as a potential starter in camp, injuries quickly derailed his season and he did not play again after throwing two touchdowns against the Trojans on September 23.
After the season, he made the unusual academic-based decision to enter the NCAA transfer portal and return to Notre Dame to pursue a degree in American Studies with a minor in Business Economics.
He called his semester back at Notre Dame “a little bit of a recharge.”
“I've found real motivation and I'm really itching to play again,” Pine said. “After going to see Missouri State, I can’t wait to play again and put on a helmet.”
Missouri had an 11-2 record last season, including a win over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl. Along with Cook, one of the most established quarterbacks in the SEC, the Tigers have one of the top wide receivers in the country in Luther Burden III.
The University of Missouri is projected to start the 2024 season in the top 20. However, with sophomore quarterback Sam Horn expected to miss the 2024 football season due to Tommy John surgery, one of the team's needs was an experienced backup behind Cook.
Pyne said he hit it off right away with Missouri coach Eliah Drinkwitz and offensive coordinator Kirby Moore, and they committed after having dinner at Shiloh Bar & Grill on their first night together. He said he was ready. That was before we even toured the football facility or even had a complete tour of the campus.
“It's going to be incredible to be in the room with Coach Moore,” Pine said. “Everything about his offense makes sense. I think it's very similar to the offense I played in at Notre Dame. I thought he was a perfect fit.”
“I'm really excited because the plays are similar to Notre Dame. Coach Moore's way of teaching makes it easy for the quarterback to know how to read every play.”
Pine said he plans to graduate from Notre Dame this spring and enroll at the University of Missouri in late May.
