There is an intriguing two-sport athlete story unfolding.
Sam Horn, a quarterback at the University of Missouri, is also signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was drafted in the 17th round of the 2025 MLB draft and also is expected to split time for Missouri in their opener against Central Arkansas on Aug. 28.
Horn hopes to follow in the footsteps of Russell Wilson, Jeff Samardzija—and at the pinnacle, Deion Sanders and Bo Jackson—by playing both baseball and football as long as possible. Horn forfeited his eligibility to play college baseball by signing with the Dodgers a few weeks after the July draft.
GettyCOLUMBIA, MISSOURI – AUGUST 31: Quarterback Sam Horn #21 of the Missouri Tigers passes against the South Dakota Coyotes in the second half at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2023 in Columbia, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)
Joe Horn in QB Battle with Penn State Transfer
At Missouri, Horn is in a quarterback battle with Penn State transfer Beau Pribula. Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Horn and Pribula will both get snaps in the opener.
Horn has waited awhile. He underwent Tommy John surgery in February 2024 for a torn ligament in his elbow. He hasn’t played in a game since 2023, seeing limited time as a backup. He has only ever thrown eight passes at quarterback and has a touchdown and interception on his record.
Pribula, a dual threat quarterback at Penn State, played in more games at 24 appearances. He has completed 37-of-56 passes for 424 yards with nine touchdowns and one interception while rushing for 571 yards on 94 carries and 10 touchdowns.
GettySTATE COLLEGE, PA – NOVEMBER 30: Beau Pribula #9 of the Penn State Nittany Lions carries the ball as Chantz Harley #24 of the Maryland Terrapins defends during the second half at Beaver Stadium on November 30, 2024 in State College, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
Dodgers Fine with Joe Horn Playing QB at Missouri
In the spring, Horn will need to decide whether he wants to begin his professional baseball career. If he does, the Dodgers would welcome him to minor league camp, according to The Washington Post. The Dodgers are comfortable with Horn playing football in the SEC because he was such a late draft selection.
Horn signed for just under $500,000, which is a value in line with a fifth-round selection, not the 17th, MLB.com reported. And he’s also earning in the low millions at the university, now that the NIL era has arrived.
GettyLOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 16: A general view of the inside of the stadium during the game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Dodger Stadium on June 16, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Dodgers Scout Has Been Watching Film on Both Sports
Horn’s future at quarterback may be decided on Aug. 28 and Gasparino said the Dodgers are ready either way.
“When we got a brief glimpse his first couple outings as a freshman [at Mizzou], we thought he was tracking toward a high-round pick. Then the Tommy John and the football schedule all kind of derailed it and made it a hard evaluation, really,” Gasparino said.
“So on our end, it was: ‘All right, how much do we like him? How good is he at football? Is he an NFL-caliber quarterback?’ … And then when can we actually get him if we did take him? The baseball window closes quickly, it’s a quick timeline, and we want him on the mound and pitching.”
Gasparino added that it’s been interesting scouting both baseball and football.
“We don’t really cross over ever. So it was kind of like: ‘Wait a minute, does anyone know a football scout? Does anyone know a college recruiter that can tell us how good he is?’ We were able to find a few sources who helped us.”
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