Freshman Michael Van Buren continues to take steps forward for Bulldogs
Since Jeff Lebby was the offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma Sooners, Michael Van Buren Jr. was his guy.
The coach had his eye on Van Buren early in the process but watched as the talented quarterback from Maryland chose the Oregon Ducks instead of the Sooners. After Lebby took the job as Mississippi State’s head coach last November, Van Buren made the move and was one of the first commitments in the Lebby era.
The two didn’t think they’d have to escalate that coach and player relationship as early as they have at State, but things are progressing for Van Buren in year one. Lebby has made it easy.
“Coach Leb never lets me get too high or too low. He’s always going to challenge me and make me get better in all aspects. We don’t try to get better at one specific thing, just trying to get better at being a quarterback,” Van Buren said.
“He’s a man that cares. He’s a big family guy and cares how you treat people and that’s a big thing for me. He’s never going to tell me how good I am or how bad I am. He’s always going to challenge me and that makes me better every day. That’s somebody I want to be around.”
Van Buren not close to finished product
Through seven games and six starts, Van Buren has now thrown for 1,323 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions with a 57% completion percentage with four more touchdowns rushing.
Last month, Lebby was asked about the progression of his freshman QB. While many have praised Van Buren for his work in year one, Lebby said there’s so much more he can get out of his signal caller.
The first-year head coach might be new to his current position, but he knows what he’s looking for in his field general and Van Buren has all of it. Van Buren is far from a finished product, but he looks a lot different on film for Lebby since that first start at Texas.
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“I think we’re freed up a little bit and not having to protect him as much as we did when we went on the road to Austin,” Lebby said. “I think we all understand, especially me, exactly who we have and what I can expect. I feel really good about being able to call a play and know what’s going to happen before I call it.”
The game expanded a bit for Van Buren in Saturday’s win. He was 14-of-25 passing for 222 yards and a touchdown and he ran two more scores in during the game. The rushing stats didn’t show it with nine carries for 14 yards skewed by three sacks, but Van Buren is growing in the run game.
In both of Van Buren’s runs, the defense committed to stopping the back but the quarterback made a play. It’s a part of his game that Lebby sees growing. There were some pocket awareness issues that the coach saw, but he likes the positive move.
“He did some really good things. I thought he did a nice job of winning some one-on-ones when he got in grass and got in some open space, which was really good to see,” Lebby said of Van Buren. “He made some really good decisions down inside the 5 yard line to be able to go in and score with his legs. We’re going to continue to need that.”
Another area that has grown in Van Buren’s game is the trust he has within his teammates.
Van Buren and his wide receivers have been creating chemistry but he’s also gotten that with his offensive linemen and running backs. With a bright future ahead, that early trust is critical for State’s progress moving forward.
“I’m just telling my guys that I’ve got 100% confidence in them and being there for them. It’s not getting on their tail when they do bad, I just try to keep their spirits up,” Van Buren said. “It just makes them want to fight for me, make a play for me. I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to win.”
