Season-ending injury already claims quarterback from South Carolina football rival

Spring practice hasn't even started yet, but a South Carolina football rival already has a season-ending injury that will affect their quarterback room.

Sam Horn, the backup and seeming heir-apparent to Brady Cook for Mizzou, will miss the 2024 college football season. As a pitcher on the Tigers' baseball team, he also will miss the rest of the 2024 baseball season and could be out for the 2025 campaign, as well. What type of injury could take a quarterback/pitcher out for so long? Tommy John surgery.

According to a report from Gabe DeArmond from PowerMizzou.com, Horn suffered a torn UCL in his throwing elbow, resulting in his need for Tommy John surgery. For a pitcher and quarterback, the UCL is extremely important, meaning it will need to be fully healed before he can return to action. That usually takes 12-18 months.

A former 4-star quarterback and top-200 pitcher/infielder prospect in the class of 2022, Horn was believed to be in a position to overtake Brady Cook for the starting job in the "other Columbia" last season before the latter's breakout season and was thought to be ready to contribute to the Mizzou baseball program, as well.

If an injury were to strike and keep Brady Cook out for an extended amount of time this season, Horn's absence from the Missouri football team this season could mean disaster for the media darling Tigers. Picked by many as a back-end of the College Football Playoff team, Mizzou is seen as a program on the rise in the SEC.

South Carolina football will welcome the Missouri Tigers to Williams-Brice Stadium for a November 16th showdown in the 3rd-to-last game of the 2024 regular season. The South Carolina baseball team will travel to CoMo (also in the 3rd-to-last weekend series of the 2024 regular season) for a 3-game series this spring.