Mississippi State head coach Jeff Lebby was optimistic that quarterback Blake Shapen, already in his fifth college season, would be granted an additional year of eligibility after sustaining a season-ending shoulder injury in the Bulldogs’ Week 4 game against Florida.
Shapen did receive a medical redshirt, and he will remain in Starkville for the 2025 season, he announced Tuesday.
Through four games at MSU, the former Baylor quarterback was on pace for the best season of his collegiate career. He completed 74 of 108 passes for 974 yards with eight touchdowns and just one interception, and he also had a pair of rushing scores. Shapen also battled injuries during his time at Baylor — he started all 13 games in 2022 but was limited to eight games the following season.
Redshirt freshman Chris Parson was the first quarterback off the bench in the Bulldogs’ blowout win over Eastern Kentucky in Week 1, but after Shapen was injured in the Florida game, it was true freshman Michael Van Buren who relieved him, and Van Buren remained the starter the rest of the season. Parson announced his intention to enter the transfer portal on Dec. 2, and Van Buren officially put his name into the portal on Tuesday night.
Van Buren finished the year with a 55 percent completion rate and 1,886 passing yards with 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions, adding five more touchdowns on the ground. Sacks were a problem for him throughout the season, though, as was taking care of the ball in the pocket.
“You all have embraced me, supported me and nurtured me both academically and athletically in our short time together,” Van Buren wrote on X (formerly Twitter) in a message directed to MSU fans. “My family and I are forever grateful to Coach Lebby, the staff, my teammates, the administrative team, and professors for their contributions to my growth as an individual.”
Craver, Pollock also headline portal entries
Freshman wide receiver Mario Craver was among the highest-ranked recruits in Lebby’s first signing class last year, a four-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite rankings. He made an immediate impact in his college debut — his first reception was a 54-yard touchdown in the Bulldogs’ season opener. Craver finished with 17 catches for 368 yards (an impressive 21.6 yards per catch) with three touchdowns.
But Craver was suspended by the coaching staff for MSU’s game against Missouri on Nov. 23, and though he did suit up for the Egg Bowl the following week, he did not have a reception. Craver also missed games against Arkansas and Massachusetts due to injury, and he entered the portal on Monday.
The Bulldogs’ top cornerback, sophomore Brice Pollock, is also in the transfer portal. Pollock recorded an interception and a forced fumble against Georgia and had nine pass breakups for the season. No other MSU player had more than three.
Other portal entries include starting offensive tackle Makylan Pounders, who came to the Bulldogs last year from Memphis; linebackers Ty Cooper and John Lewis; and running back Keyvone Lee, who was putting up solid numbers before also sustaining a season-ending injury against Florida.
In total, 26 MSU players are in the portal as of Wednesday, so Lebby and his staff may need to overshoot the 15 transfer additions the head coach said he was hoping for during his signing day press conference. So far, the Bulldogs have added three transfers in Kennesaw State defensive back Jayven Williams, Old Dominion safety Jahron Manning and North Carolina State defensive end Red Hibbler.
MSU is targeting Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, a former five-star recruit who was the backup to Dillon Gabriel in 2023 with Lebby as the Sooners’ offensive coordinator. Arnold became the starter in 2024 and completed 63 percent of his passes for 1,421 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Smith, Coleman, Booth earn all-SEC honors
The Bulldogs were one of just three Southeastern Conference teams without a player on the All-SEC First Team, as voted on by the conference’s head coaches. But sophomore safety Isaac Smith, who led the SEC in tackles, made the second team, with wide receiver Kevin Coleman and running back Davon Booth earning spots on the third team.
Smith is currently fifth nationally in total tackles with 127, finishing with a career-high 20 against Tennessee. He also had a tackle for loss against Ole Miss, forced a fumble against Florida and had three pass breakups.
Coleman, a transfer from Louisville and the SWAC Freshman of the Year in 2022 at Jackson State, was fourth in the SEC with 932 receiving yards on 74 catches with six touchdowns. He had four games with more than 100 receiving yards, capping off his outstanding year with a season-high 116 yards against rival Ole Miss.
Booth began his career at Cerritos College in California and came to Starkville after one year at Utah State. He totaled 152 carries for 759 rushing yards and five touchdowns for MSU, in addition to 13 receptions for 164 yards and four touchdowns. Behind an offensive line that improved as the season progressed in run blocking, Booth had his two best games of the year in November against Tennessee and Missouri.
Last Thursday, Booth declared for the 2025 NFL Draft, as have tight end Justin Ball and defensive linemen De’Monte Russell and Sulaiman Kpaka. Coleman announced his intent to enter the portal late Wednesday, but Smith is expected to return for his junior season.
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