Blake Shapen Updates Preseason Camp Progress

The Bulldog quarterback discusses what he has seen from his squad as the season approaches.

Blake Shapen / Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Mississippi State football is over two weeks into preseason camp under its new head coach, Jeff Lebby. In addition to the new head coach, the new starting quarterback, Blake Shapen, has been at the center of the MSU discussion.

The former Baylor signal caller and his new teammates are adjusting to Lebby's veer-and-shoot scheme. Luckily, for Shapen, most of the projected offense starters are also from the transfer portal.

Sharing that common bond, along with guys like center Ethan Miner, who are veterans of college football, has made the transition smooth for the new quarterback.

"I think it's a cool deal just because a lot of the team is transfer portal guys, and for me to not be the only one has been good for me," Shapen said. "I came in with a bunch of veteran guys from the transfer portal, just for them to be the same age as me and kinda go through the same experiences."

A bond between a quarterback and his offense needs to be strong because each side relies heavily on the other, which could have been a concern with a new face at quarterback. However, the Bulldog offensive line saw tremendous change during the offseason as no returning starters forced the coaching staff to hit the portal hard.

Four of the five starters on the MSU offensive line will likely be from the transfer portal, and their energy has been contagious for Shapen.

"Those guys are awesome and are fun to be around," Shapen said. "They are joyful, happy, and funny…. they are older guys, so they are mature, but they also have a funny side."

The Shreveport, La. native got his first live reps with his new squad last Sunday inside Davis Wade Stadium. Due to NCAA rules, complete contact at practice is minimal, which makes these scrimmages all the more critical.

The senior quarterback must establish timing with his receivers in the passing game and make protection calls. Also, the veteran is experiencing a new system of communication with his coach, as the NCAA now allows coach and player communication through the helmet, much like the NFL.

No first scrimmage is as sharp as anyone likes, but it is a solid starting point to establish what needs to improve before the season.

"I thought it was good. Obviously, there are things we need to improve on offense and defense," Shapen said. "But overall, it was a pretty good first scrimmage. Everyone played hard, but we need to clean up some things."

The Bulldog defense is nearly a complete overhaul from last year, much like the offense, but they differ. New MSU defensive coordinator Coleman Hutzler will rely heavily on recruits who signed with State out of high school instead of the other side of the ball, who found veterans in the transfer portal.

The energy Hutzler brings to practice is contagious and his guys have responded.

"The main thing for me is they play really hard, and you can feel the energy they bring," Shapen said. "They have an energy to them that is special, and that is a credit to the older guys that bring it every day."

State's performance this season relies heavily on Shapen, whether fairly or unfairly. Naturally, every quarterback understands the importance of their job, but Shapen is going from a pro-style scheme in Waco to an offense predicated on quarterback success.

However, Shapen feels he has steadily improved and will continue to do so before State kicks off the season on August 31st against Eastern Kentucky.

"I think I have improved a lot just from the beginning of spring especially," Shapen said. "Even the first day of fall camp, I feel like there have been a lot of improvements made… and excited to keep doing that every day."