What did James Franklin learn from Beau Pribula transfer?

Penn State football got starting quarterback Drew Allar back for his senior year this offseason, but did so at the cost of Beau Pribula. The veteran backup’s decision to transfer amid the Nittany Lions’ playoff run captured headlines and sparked a national discussion about the implementation of the transfer portal in college football.

Pribula has moved on to Missouri, but the impact of his decision is still fresh in the mind of James Franklin. Appearing on On3’s Andy and Ari podcast with Andy Staples and Ari Wasserman this week, the Nittany Lions head coach echoed his statements from four months ago in the aftermath of Pribula’s transfer.

“Beau Pribula was our backup quarterback. And Beau’s dream school was to come to Penn State,” Franklin said. “Grew up in the state of Pennsylvania. Was a Trace McSorley fan. This was his dream. Beau did not want to leave. But as a quarterback, there’s only so many spots, and the schools that he was interested in was filling up. And he had to choose: am I going to go in the transfer portal or stay?

“The problem is, it’s not like we had a hard and fast rule where he couldn’t look around. But the problem is, he wanted to go on visits, and I don’t know how you can go on visits and be our backup quarterback in this type of game. So we tried to work it out. I even talked about calling schools for him. But he was put in a really difficult position, and so were we based on the calendar. And I just don’t feel like any kid should be put in that position.”

Franklin discusses restructuring of the transfer portal, college football calendar

Penn State football coach James Franklin. © Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

James Franklin has long been an outspoken critic of the current structure of the college football calendar and its negative impact on teams across the country. In light of Pribula’s high-profile move, the 30-year coaching veteran believes changes are past due.

“I think the conversations that I’ve heard in the Big Ten and the conversations I’ve been a part of at the AFCA, the American Football Coaches Association, is I think everybody thinks the best model is to have one transfer portal and have it after the spring,” he said. “That would allow everybody to get through their season. It would allow you to have one academic calendar.

“And then there’s been some talk about maybe moving spring football into the summer, more like an OTA [NFL’s organized team activities] model. So now your roster is completely set and now you can get some practices in leading up to training camp and start getting prepared. Because there’s a lot of programs that are going to be practicing a ton of guys during spring ball who are not even going to be a part of their roster come the fall.

“At the end of the day, I just think it’s important, right? We got to be thinking about, number one: what’s in the best interest of college football. Number two: what’s in the best interest of the student-athlete? But then also what’s in the best interest of the universities and the programs and the athletic departments as well. And it really should be looked at holistically.”

Pribula set to become starter in the SEC

With spring practice coming to a close in Columbia, it appears that Pribula’s decision to leave Penn State football will pay off.

This week, Missouri quarterback Drew Pyne revealed his plans to re-enter the transfer portal. The move paves the way for the York native to become the Tigers’ starting quarterback this fall.

NEW: Missouri QB Drew Pyne has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports.

The former Notre Dame and Arizona State transfer will have one year of eligibility remaining. https://t.co/BVeHXNBLSz pic.twitter.com/HY2Xj8OitG

— On3 (@On3sports) April 1, 2025

Pribula finished his Penn State football career completing 66% of his passes for 424 yards and nine touchdowns. The mobile threat added 571 yards and 10 scores on the ground over the last two seasons.

Thank you for reading Basic Blues Nation, one of the fastest-growing outlets covering Penn State athletics. Part of the Full Ride network, we are an alumni-owned and operated, credentialed media outlet dedicated to providing you with updated and reliable insights for all your favorite Nittany Lion sports. Whether it’s Penn State football, basketball, wrestling, or anything in between, you can find it all on Basic Blues Nation!

Please follow us on our social channels, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube, and subscribe to our newsletter on Substack for breaking news and notifications. For feedback, questions, or concerns, please email us at [email protected] or direct message us on social media.