COLUMBIA, Mo. — The Los Angeles Dodgers selected Missouri quarterback and pitcher Sam Horn in the 17th round of the MLB draft on Monday, setting up a key decision for the Tigers’ well-known two-sport athlete.
Horn is considered to have better professional prospects in baseball, where he’s clipped 98 mph with his fastball, than he does football. But he’s about to be in the throes of a two-man battle for Mizzou’s starting quarterback job for the upcoming football season, too.
Will Horn ditch football for good — leaving MU with a gravely inexperienced backup quarterback in true freshman Matt Zollers and default starter in Beau Pribula — to sign with the Dodgers? Work out a way for him to join their farm system in 2026 while sticking with football for one more year? Forego the chance to sign with an MLB team now, play football and sign with a baseball club next year?
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That decision, carrying seven-figure implications for Horn and consequences for Mizzou football, now looms. He must decide whether to sign or not by an MLB-instituted deadline of 4 p.m. on July 28.
In addition to playing both sports, Horn is a unique baseball prospect because so little of his talent has been on display since he enrolled at MU out of Lawrenceville, Georgia.
He’s thrown only 15 innings in three seasons of college baseball (and only eight passes on the gridiron) while missing more than a year to undergo Tommy John surgery. His decision to undergo the operation was seen as a way to maintain his baseball potential, since Horn’s football throwing motion would not have required the elbow procedure.
Still, standing 6-foot-4 and with notable athleticism for that frame, Horn and his velocity looked tempting to MLB clubs. He participated in the draft combine last month and entered the draft as the No. 58-ranked prospect by Baseball America and a top 100 option in the eyes of ESPN.
“Horn creates quality extension with his 6-foot-4 frame and athletic delivery, providing deception with a low arm slot and release height,” read an scouting report. “He’s still refining his control and command after working just 15 innings in three college seasons, but they should become average as he gains more experience. Clubs are trying to weigh his upside versus his lack of track record, and his desire to turn pro in baseball while continuing to compete for Missouri’s starting quarterback job complicates matters.”
Earlier on Monday, the New York Mets drafted MU commit and Fort Zumwalt North pitcher Camden Lohman in the eighth round. Mizzou shortstop Jackson Lovich went to the New York Yankees in the 16th round.
Post-Dispatch lead baseball writer Derrick Goold contributed to this report.
Mizzou football coach Eli Drinkwitz speaks with the media on Wednesday, April 9, 2025. about quarterback Sam Horn. (Video by Mizzou Network, used with permission of Mizzou Athletics)
