The college football transfer portal continues to stay hot and the quarterback market continues to take the lion’s share of the frenzy. With over 120 quarterbacks to hit the portal this offseason, the dominos have started to fall.
Former Baylor QB Blake Shapen has announced his intentions of transferring to Mississippi State, bolstering a program in need of at least a handful of talented players for the 2024 seaosn.
Blake Shapen Transfers to Mississippi State
The Mississippi State Bulldogs will add Shapen to their backfield after SEC leader in completions — Will Rogers — announced his transfer out of the program.
It’s a new era of football in Starkville and new head coach Jeff Lebby will be tying his first season with the program with Shapen behind center. Whether or not Lebby and Co. add another signal-caller remains to be seen, but Shapen has more than enough starts under his belt for Bulldogs’ fans to feel comfortable.
Though things went sour during the end of his run at Baylor, when Shapen was on his game, he was one of the best in the Big 12.
New beginnings! Let’s work 🐶 pic.twitter.com/yVdisOWaIk
— Blake Shapen (@BShapen) December 9, 2023
Across three seasons as Baylor’s starting quarterback, Shapen threw for 5,574 yards and 36 touchdowns. He was at his best when he was kept clean in the pocket from pressure, but showcased enough mobility and athleticism in 2023 when pressure did collapse on him to warrant some high-profile looks in the portal.
In the end, it was Mississippi State that secured his services.
Shapen can hit every level of the field and does so with on-time throws more often than not. He may not have the strongest arm in the country, but Shapen has more than enough power and juice on his throws to the short and intermediate levels to beat any coverage.
The Bulldogs will look drastically different in 2024 and Shapen is likely the first of many new pieces to head to Starkville before spring ball.