State QB Michael Van Buren entering the transfer portal
A big piece to Mississippi State’s offense is set to hit the transfer portal after just one year.
Freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren is one of the first big pieces to State’s roster that is hitting the portal this offseason. One of the Jeff Lebby’s top recruits for the class of 2024 leaves State after starting in the final nine games of the season for the Bulldogs.
Van Buren stepped in as starting QB for the Bulldogs after starter Blake Shapen went down with a shoulder injury against Florida. The next nine games saw Van Buren throw for 1,886 yards, 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions with a 55% completion percentage though the Bulldogs only managed to win one of those games.
The Maryland native went up against some of the toughest teams in the country as his road starts included playoff teams Georgia, Tennessee and Texas with a trip to Oxford to play Ole Miss in the Battle for the Golden Egg as well.
At St. Frances Academy, Van Buren earned a Under Armour All-American Game invite and was named the MVP for his team in the event. He was a former four-star by the On3 Industry rankings and was the No. 24 QB in the class. Lebby identified him early in the recruiting process when the coach was at Oklahoma but Van Buren initially committed to Oregon.
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Shortly after Lebby took the job at MSU, Van Buren entered the portal and was on State’s campus for an official visit. Lebby landed him just a couple of days later.
Bulldogs have eyes set on transfer QB
The loss of Van Buren coincides with the latest smoke that the Bulldogs are heavily pursuing Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold. Lebby recruited and signed Arnold for the Sooners and the QB backed up Dillon Gabriel in year one.
After Gabriel’s transfer, Arnold stepped in for the Alamo Bowl and threw for 261 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions. As a sophomore this season, Arnold threw for 1,421 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions and rushed for another 444 yards and three scores. He was benched early in the season but returned as the team’s starter while helping defeat Alabama.
