Blake Shapen to return to Mississippi State in 2025
One piece of Mississippi State’s puzzle on offense is now in place for 2025 as senior QB Blake Shapen is coming back for one final year.
Shapen announced his intentions on X (formerly known as Twitter) Tuesday afternoon. The former Baylor QB has one season of eligibility remaining due to a medical redshirt this season.
It’s good news for Jeff Lebby as he adds a veteran Power 4 conference QB to his roster for next season. Shapen was State’s starting signal caller this season before going down with a shoulder injury in a loss against Florida. It was determined after the game that his injury would require season-ending surgery and Lebby
It was a tough blow at the time when Shapen went down with injury but Lebby was confident that his QB would handle the rehabilitation and the adversity.
“For him it’s just a reflection of exactly who he is,” Lebby said back in September. “I couldn’t be more proud that I get to coach him every single day as we walk through this thing and he gets it cleaned up. He’ll be a huge part of the rest of the season just because of his leadership, his toughness and his edge. He’s got such great respect from his teammates, and that’s a testament to who he is.”
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Shapen has a chance to build on what was a promising start to 2024
The Bulldogs were forced to throw freshman Michael Van Buren into the fire after Shapen’s injury and Van Buren performed well in his nine starts. Van Buren completed 55% of his passes for 1,886 yards, 10 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Before Shapen’s setback, the starter was putting together a solid season. Shapen was 74-of-108 (69%) for 974 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception. Shapen was also a factor in the run game having carried it 28 times for 110 yards before sacks. He added two touchdowns.
Prior to his first year with State, Shapen put together three solid seasons at Baylor. He threw for 5,574 yards with 36 touchdowns and 13 INT. One concern with Shapen since his arrival in Starkville has been his durability. He encountered multiple injuries with the Bears and now added a shoulder to the mix. He will have a chance to put together one final healthy season in 2025 with the Bulldogs.
