Chandler Morris raised his arms in victory. The graduate quarterback won the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Dec. 27, capturing Virginia’s 11th win of the 2025 campaign — the most in a single season in Cavalier history. But in the days that followed, ongoing celebrations became bittersweet.
Morris was out of eligibility. Virginia tried to appeal to the NCAA for one more year, but to no avail. As the Cavaliers waited on final word from the NCAA, they could not sit idly without a starting quarterback. So they found one in the transfer portal.
“Gritty. Warrior. He’s the guy.” Those words could describe Morris.
However, those words came from Coach Gerry Yonchiuk of Central York High School, instead summarizing Beau Pribula — presumably Virginia’s next starting quarterback. While this Cavalier signal caller may be new to Virginia, leadership is nothing new for Pribula.
“[Virginia] saw a guy that looked comfortable as a starter, looked like a guy that his teammates would follow,” Coach Tony Elliott said at media availability Feb. 4.
Pribula, who will be a graduate transfer, comes to Charlottesville by way of Missouri. He spent the 2025 season with the Tigers after three years as the backup at Penn State — he did not play in Missouri’s loss to Virginia in the Gator Bowl, as he sat out to enter the transfer portal. Months earlier, before the 2025 season, Missouri Coach Eli Drinkwitz praised Pribula as an admirable leader.
“Beau came in with the right mindset — nothing given, everything earned," Drinkwitz said in August. "[Pribula] works extremely hard, developing his craft. He's a guy who has a chip on his shoulder, the right kind of chip, does a really good job leadership-wise. [I’m] just impressed with his ability to connect with our team."
Now, Pribula has to connect with his new team in Charlottesville. Yonchiuk has no doubts about his ability to do so.
“[Beau will] come in and lead that locker room from the day he starts,” Yonchiuk said in an interview with The Cavalier Daily.
According to Yonchiuk, Pribula is a natural leader. He shared an anecdote from back in 2020 when Pribula was a high school junior — a backup quarterback had missed a workout. Pribula drove 20 minutes to that player’s house, picked him up and drove him back to practice.
“[Pribula said] ‘You're not missing this workout. We’re gonna go win a state championship.’ I thought, ‘wow, can't teach that stuff,’” Yonchiuk said.
If stellar leadership is one of Pribula’s outstanding intangible qualities, extreme athleticism and strength are two of his tangible ones. According to Yonchiuk, Pribula power cleaned 335 pounds in high school and threw down ridiculous dunks as one of just two underclassmen on his varsity basketball team.
Pribula’s strength certainly carried over into college. During his time at Penn State from 2021 to 2024, Pribula would often lift with the defensive players. When edge rusher Abdul Carter, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, looked for a lifting partner in college, he wanted Pribula. Just about anywhere else, a quarterback lifting with defenders — let alone one of the best in the country — is unheard of.
A further display of his determination on the field, Pribula broke his foot in his senior year state championship game against a team that boasted four future NFL players. Pribula finished the game having played every snap at quarterback, every snap on defense and a stint as a punter.
“The guy loves to compete, man,” Elliott said. “He's tough, tough as nails. You saw that he battled through some injuries.”
With Missouri in 2025, Pribula suffered a dislocated left ankle that was expected to be a season-ending injury. He returned to game action after a one-month absence. However, that injury may have significantly hindered his season. After Pribula’s injury, he did not record another passing touchdown in his final four games.
But before that injury, Pribula displayed flashes of greatness. In particular, Pribula is an adept runner with the ability to make throws from any angle or area on the field. Those skills coupled with leadership ability combine to make an ideal quarterback.
“You saw leadership qualities on the field and [Pribula is also] dynamic when he takes off and runs,” Elliott said. “And then he can make all the throws. He could throw it from the pocket. He can throw it on the run.”
Yonchiuk echoed Elliott’s analysis, adding that Pribula’s ability to scan the field is extraordinary.
“His understanding of the read progressions and how he does that really are exceptional,” Yonchiuk said. “So that's what really helps him, because he can understand and does understand the game at a different level.”
However, unlike Morris, who was the clear starting option immediately upon committing to the Cavaliers, Pribula’s starting gig is not set in stone. Although it was reported that the Cavaliers anticipate Pribula to be the starter, Virginia also brought in junior quarterback Eli Holstein from Pittsburgh to be one of the most experienced backup quarterbacks in the ACC.
“They both started last season as starters at the [Power Four] level. They both have shown the ability to be successful,” Elliott said.
Pribula has something more at stake than earning surefire QB1 status and proving Elliott right. One game on Virginia’s schedule will carry extra weight for Pribula.
Virginia Tech just hired Coach James Franklin, the coach who initially recruited Pribula to Penn State back in his high school days. Pribula played for Franklin from 2022 to 2024.
“[Pribula] has been a phenomenal teammate,” Franklin said after Pribula left Penn State in December of 2024.
Franklin once attended Pribula’s high school game via helicopter — where he watched him complete all 12 of his passes for six touchdowns in just one half of play. Years later, Pribula’s dynamic with Franklin has come full-circle. Just 10 months from now, Pribula will prospectively lead the Cavaliers into Blacksburg to take on his old coach.
In 2026, Pribula may have the chance to play every game as a starter for the first time in his college career. Additionally, Pribula could have the opportunity to lead the Cavaliers to their College Football Playoff debut.
“[Pribula is] a warrior, and he meets the standard, whatever that standard is going to be,” Yonchiuk said. “That’s the standard that the head coach expects there in Virginia. It's the Virginia football standard. He's the guy that will make or meet or excel at the standard.”
Pribula does not need to be Superman. He might not even need to be Morris. But if his leadership and untapped talents shine, he might just be the perfect quarterback to finish the job Morris started last year.
Read More
No. 1 Virginia loses rematch with No. 2 Ohio State in ITA Indoors Semifinal
By Margaret Piatos | 5 hours agoThe Buckeyes got an early advantage with a strong doubles performance.
The Cavaliers cap off a weekend in Boston with a bevy of personal records
By Caroline Wulff | 11 hours agoThe meet included many personal best times for the Cavaliers along with a surprising turn of events in the men’s 800-meter invite.
Virginia track and field race off to strong showings at the Darius Dixon and Tiger Paw Invitationals
By Mofeoluwa Akande and Anderson Kim | 11 hours agoIn Lynchburg, the marquee highlight of the meet was brought by the women’s 4x400-meter relay Saturday afternoon. Bringing their flair to the field, the quartet was able to shatter the previous meet record — held by Virginia Tech since 2022 — with a season's best time of 3:41.71.
