CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Virginia has named Missouri transfer Beau Pribula as its starting quarterback heading into preseason camp, as the Cavaliers follow up a record 11-win season.
Coach Tony Elliott said he informed the team in May of the decision, and spoke with both Pribula and Pitt transfer Eli Holstein, who competed during the spring. Elliott didn't make the decision public immediately, waiting until ACC kickoff.
"When we get back on the grass, we'll continue to compete, but that's the direction that we're headed," Elliott told ESPN. "So the team's known. I just didn't make a big [statement] because I didn't want that to create any additional distractions and talking points. ... We had enough body of work to be able to say, 'This is where we're going.'"
Both Pribula and Holstein transferred into Virginia with Power 4 starting experience, as Pribula logged 10 starts at Missouri in 2025, going 7-3 with 1,941 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 297 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Holstein started 10 games at Pitt in 2024 and the first four games last season before being replaced by Mason Heintschel. He started his college career at Alabama and has two years of eligibility left, while Pribula is entering his final college season.
Virginia won a team-record 11 games in 2025 and reached the ACC title game before losing to Duke. The Cavaliers are replacing quarterback Chandler Morris, who had 3,000 passing yards and 16 touchdowns.
Pribula spent his first three seasons at Penn State and was used primarily as a change-up running quarterback. He sustained a dislocated left ankle in late October with Missouri, but the injury did not result in a fracture and Pribula returned for the final two regular-season contests.
"Being a starting quarterback, you got to protect yourself more," he said. "So that's one thing I was working on throughout the season last year, just being smarter about it, don't take unnecessary hits, get down when you can, because I'm not in the role I was playing at Penn State.
"I have to be every-down quarterback."