Like Pennsylvania, Virginia is a commonwealth, which is why the latter’s biggest rivalry is dubbed the “Commonwealth Clash.” Seemingly, the entire commonwealth of Virginia has something on the line when Virginia Tech and Virginia meet, and in 2026, so will much of the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Like stalking an ex on Instagram, Penn State fans will be keeping an eye on the Hokies every time James Franklin’s new team takes the field. It won’t take much for Penn State fans to root against their former head coach, but when Virginia Tech faces Virginia in the final week of the regular season, there will be a familiar rooting interest on the other side: former Nittany Lion QB Beau Pribula.
Beau Pribula will square off with James Franklin in the Commonwealth Clash
Pribula backed up Drew Allar for two seasons, and in 2024 he summoned visions of Trace McSorley while running Andy Kotelnicki’s specialty package of gadget plays and wearing the former QB’s No. 9 jersey. A faction of the fanbase even called for Pribula to take over the starting job before he departed the program ahead of the College Football Playoff and ultimately landed at Missouri.
The Pennsylvania native and 2022 three-star started 10 games for the Tigers last season. A midseason ankle injury limited his effectiveness down the stretch, but he still managed to throw for 1,941 yards and 11 touchdowns, though with nine interceptions and a modest 297 yards on the ground.
Taking a step down to the ACC at Virginia for his final year of eligibility, Pribula will get one last chance to prove he can lead a successful offense and prove those most optimistic Penn State fans right. This weekend, Pribula was named Virginia’s starting QB, beating out Pitt transfer Eli Holstein for the gig.
This game will be a must-watch for all Penn State fans, but particularly the ones who believed strongly that Franklin was holding the Nittany Lions back by not giving Pribula the starting job over Allar. They would want nothing more than to see Pribula stick it to Franklin and his Hokies, and Franklin lose another big-time rivalry game.
Beau Pribula still has a long way to go to prove James Franklin wrong
While that group may have been right that Pribula was a better fit for Kotelnicki’s system, which needed a mobile quarterback to be fully actualized. Pribula didn’t exactly take off when given the opportunity as Eli Drinkwitz’s starting QB at Mizzou last year.
Sure, he had the ankle injury, but even before that, his lack of downfield passing was a harsh cap on Missouri’s offense. When in a neutral or a positive game script, the threat of Pribula’s legs and his accuracy in the quick passing game can be devastating, keeping the defense in constant conflict. However, when he was forced to be a true dropback passer without the threat of the QB run or play-action, Pribula tended to crumble.
At Missouri, he completed just 43 of his 85 attempts over 10 yards downfield for just 9.3 yards per attempt with six touchdowns to eight interceptions. Those pedestrian numbers weren’t enough for him to land another opportunity in the SEC, but maybe he could unlock his game in the ACC. If he does, and holds onto the job, Penn State fans will love watching him give it to his former coach in the Commonwealth Clash.
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