Blake Shapen reveals what stands out about Jeff Lebby as a head coach

It’s been over eight months since quarterback Blake Shapen transferred to Mississippi State. On Wednesday, Shapen revealed what he’s learned about head coach Jeff Lebby during that time.

“With Coach Lebby, he just pushes us to a different level,” Shapen said. “There’s never going to be a day that you walk in and you’re not going to learn something new. You’re always learning. You’re always grasping something new and you never made it either.

“You always got something to learn. We get pushed every single day, not only on the field, but especially in the meeting room, and that’s where we put a lot of the work in is up there. Then, be able to put it out on the field.”

Mississippi State fans are excited to see Shapen on the field in the upcoming season. In the 2023 campaign at Baylor, Shapen completed 61.7% of his past attempts for 2,188 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions despite only playing in eight games due to injury.

Shapen’s statistics become more impressive when you consider the defensive pressure he constantly faced. Baylor’s offensive line allowed 34 sacks last season, ranking No. 106 in the nation and the worst in the Big 12.

Mississippi State plans to provide more protection for Shapen in 2024. The fifth-year senior has shown promise when given the chance. In his four collegiate seasons, he’s amassed 5,574 yards, 36 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Jeff Lebby excited to have Blake Shapen

Alas, Shapen has rarely enjoyed any sense of consistency, with only one season as a full-time starter under his belt. The 2024 campaign could be the season to change that narrative. Lebby certainly seems happy with Shapen behind center.

“There was excitement on both ends, you know,” Lebby said in July. “I knew that Blake was going to be an incredible match for us and a guy that I wanted to be able to go get. The other side of that coin is Blake wanted to be a part of the offense and get coached the way that he’s getting coached.

 “We needed to go get a quarterback that can get it done. I’ve talked about that nonstop today. We got the right guy. That’s a guy that’s going to have the opportunity to engineer an offense that’s going to be to the standard that we want it to be at. And, without that piece, I think things look a little bit differently.”