Blake Shapen ready for a breakout in Starkville under Jeff Lebby

Mississippi State is betting big on a revival — not just of their program, but of their quarterback. After missing eight games in 2024, Blake Shapen is back in Starkville, healthy, confident, and operating in an offense tailor-made for his strengths.

Enter Jeff Lebby. The new head coach and uptempo offensive architect has worked wonders before, and now he’s working with a QB who fits his RPO-heavy system like a glove. Shapen transferred in from Baylor in 2023, but 2025 may be his first real chance to fully thrive. His resume? Stronger than most realize. Since 2021, he holds an 89.5 play-action grade and a 94.7 passing grade on throws 10+ yards — putting him in rare company alongside names like Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, and Shedeur Sanders.

“He asked the kind of questions that told me the light had come on,” Lebby said at SEC Media Days. “He’s more vocal now. He understands what Mississippi State used to be — and what it can be again.”

There are challenges. The Bulldogs lost three of their top four receivers. The offensive line remains a work in progress. But weapons like Georgia transfer Anthony Evans and former Texas speedster Brennan Thompson bring vertical juice. And with a backfield tandem of Devon Booth and Fluff Bothwell, the run game should provide balance.

Now it’s on Shapen to take ownership — and turn vision into execution.