Michael Van Buren slated to earn first start for Mississippi State
Ready or not, Michael Van Buren’s time is now at Mississippi State.
Following the unfortunate news that senior quarterback Blake Shapen is out for the season with a shoulder injury, the freshman quarterback Van Buren has been named State’s starter for Saturday’s showdown at No. 1 Texas. Coach Jeff Lebby confirmed his starter on Monday at his weekly press conference.
Lebby said that redshirt freshman QB Chris Parson will also be in the mix to play on Saturday against the Longhorns.
“Both of those guys are going to be a big part of the competition, but Mike is going to run out there first,” Lebby said. “Was proud of how he was able to put a drive together in the fourth quarter for us. He’s a guy that has great confidence in himself and the guys around him.
“Chris has been unbelievable being a great teammate and working his butt off doing what we needed him to do to create a ton of confidence, but Michael will run out there first.”
Future is now for Lebby’s chosen QB
A native of Bowie, Md., Van Buren was Lebby’s choice at QB in the signing class. The coach recruited the four-star when he was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma but Van Buren committed to Oregon. Shortly after Lebby took the job in Starkville, Van Buren had opened up his recruitment and was a Bulldog in just a couple of weeks.
Van Buren was an Under Armour All-American and the MVP for his team in January. He helped his St. Frances team to the national championship as a junior and they were the No. 2 team in the country last season.
The freshman entered the football game for the majority of the fourth quarter last Saturday against Florida after Shapen went out with his shoulder injury. The freshman was 7-of-13 in his limited action with 100 yards and he delivered a touchdown drive.
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While Van Buren managed the opportunity well, Saturday will be an entirely different animal.
The Bulldogs head to Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin to take on the No.1 Longhorns in Texas’ first SEC game ever. Less than 10 months ago, Van Buren was playing high school football. This week he’ll have to replace a veteran in Shapen and command his Bulldogs to success against the top team in the country.
“I think the biggest change is the experience piece of it,” Lebby said. “Mike can do a lot of similar things that Blake has the ability to do. He can keep some things alive with his feet and can make the throws we need him to make, but the experience piece of it is what matters as we go on the road and play the teams we’re playing.”
Shapen hopes to return for 2025
As for Shapen, the road to recovery begins now.
Shapen was off to a solid start this year as he was 74-of-108 for 974 yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. Having played in just four games, Lebby believes his QB could be back again for one more season and he expects him to continue to help the 2024 team progress.
“I’ve talked to him a ton. He’s special. He’s an elite young man,” Lebby said of Shapen. “Pull into the offense bright and early this morning and my man is in the building getting some rehab. He’s in the quarterback room and he’s out there coaching these guys up on the field in a sling. For him, it’s a reflection of exactly who he is. Couldn’t be more proud that I get to coach him each and every day as we walk through this thing.
“He’ll be a huge part of the rest of the season just because of his leadership, his toughness and his edge. He has great respect from his teammates and that’s a testament of who he is.”
