STARKVILLE — Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen was recognized with the Philanthropic Spirit award for 2025 by the NIL Store, an award that recognizes philanthropic efforts through jersey sales.
As part of the spring game at MSU, Shapen invited hundreds of children as his personal guests, granting them a meet-and-greet and autograph session at Davis Wade Stadium as well as meal vouchers and “Blake’s Bulldogs” t-shirts.
Shapen expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to live out his own dream, as well as a sense of responsibility that came with that.
“I grew up wanting to be a college football player,” Shapen said at the spring game. “It’s cool to now be able to give (others someone) to look up to and aspire to be someone that can be great and influence someone else someday.”
Shapen partnered with teammates Kamario Taylor and Issac Smith for the event, both of whom welcomed kids from their respective hometowns.
Bringing in locals for the spring game has become a tradition for the team as part of its outreach initiative, the DAWG program, which stands for “Developing A Winning Gameplan”. The program aims to foster development for players both as athletes and young men.
“Whenever you have a platform like this, I feel like you can use it to be able to influence others,” Shapen said. “It’s a blessing to be able to be in this position to be able to do something like this. I’m excited to be able to do it.”
Shapen arrived in Starkville through the transfer portal from Baylor as part of head coach Jeff Lebby’s first recruiting class in 2024 and won the starting job in the spring. He played in 27 games over four years with the Bears, totaling 5,574 yards with 36 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. He has an 11-16 career record as a starter.
Shapen threw for 974 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception through four games with the Bulldogs in 2024, posting a 1-3 record with a 69% completion rate. His season was cut short after he suffered a shoulder injury against Florida, ruling him out for the rest of the campaign as he recovered from surgery. True freshman Michael Van Buren took over for the rest of the season, posting a 1-7 record as a starter as the Bulldogs went winless in the SEC for the first time in 22 years. Van Buren left the program in January, transferring to LSU, and sophomore Chris Parson transferred to Austin Peay, leaving Shapen as the only returning quarterback.
Shapen announced his return to the Bulldogs in December 2024, gaining a sixth year of eligibility because of his redshirt year at Baylor. The graduate senior is the true veteran presence in the quarterback room in 2025, alongside true freshman Taylor and sophomore transfer Luke Kromenhoek.
The Bulldogs will begin the season on the road in Hattiesburg, taking on Southern Miss at The Rock on Aug. 30. The first home game of the season will take place the following week against reigning Big 12 champions Arizona State.
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