Transfer QB Blake Shapen excited to join Lebby in Starkville
Shapen to Starkville
When former Baylor quarterback Blake Shapen made the decision to transfer to Mississippi State, first year head coach Jeff Lebby’s offense was at the forefront of his mind.
Shapen tossed for 2,188 yards, 13 touchdowns and only three picks this past season in only eight games and almost 2,800 yards during the 2022 season. Although they didn’t play this past season, Shapen has been on the other side of Lebby’s Oklahoma offense.
“Being on the opposite side of the ball and seeing how they operate (with) tempo, all the different types of things they do offensively, just getting the ball in guys’ hands quickly, just spreading the ball out (is what drew me),” said Shapen. “They throw it downfield a lot. They do a lot of different things with the screen game, and so it’s a quarterback’s dream to play in an offense like that. I knew when that opportunity came, I wanted to hop right on.”
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When most players come for an official visit, they haven’t made a decision over where to play there or not. With Shapen, it was a different story. Whereas most recruits spend their weekend with one or two players, Shapen made it a point to meet everyone he could.
“I hung out with kind of everybody that was there,” said Shapen. “I hung out with guys that were on the visit and guys that were on the team. Just being able to meet some of the guys and kind of build that relationship. It’s my first time being (in Starkville), so I didn’t know anyone, but it was a good time.”
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Shapen was also able to offer his early thoughts on Starkville and the Mississippi State community.
“It’s a little different (than Baylor),” said Shapen. “This is my first time being in Starkville, but yeah, it’s a little different. I enjoyed it. I like the ‘small town.’ I hear it’s like a ‘college town,’ and that’s all it is, obviously. I hear the game days are fun and things like that, and I hear the fans always support.”
Shapen mentioned that he hadn’t gotten to talk to any of the younger wide receiver commits like JJ Harrell, but he fully intends to do so sooner rather than later. He also said that he can’t wait to get in the film room to dive deeper into Lebby’s spaced-out offense.
All signs point towards Shapen being QB1 when the first roster drops in the fall, and if that’s the case, the former two-sport sensation will be ready to suit up in Maroon and White for the first time in his career.
