How Does Blake Shapen Compare to Other New Quarterbacks under Jeff Lebby?

How well does the Baylor transfer do in his final year?

Blake Shapen / Mississippi State Athletics

STARKVILLE, Miss. — The 2024 football season is monumental for the Mississippi State Bulldogs. MSU welcomes former Oklahoma offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby as its new head coach.

Lebby is notorious for his explosive offense and his ability to work with quarterbacks. The 40-year-old head coach has worked under some stars in the coaching ranks, including Lane Kiffin and Josh Heupel. However, there is a big difference between being an assistant and a head coach, and the Bulldog fans learned that last year under Zach Arnett.

However, Lebby has garnered some momentum for his program through recruiting. He signed a solid transfer portal class and is off to a hot start in the 2025 and 2026 classes. The most crucial signee of his career to this point came back in December when State signed quarterback Blake Shapen out of the transfer portal.

The quarterback position is the most important player on the field, especially for Lebby, who will be judged primarily on how his offense performs this season. Luckily for the Bulldogs, the Baylor transfer is used to the pressure of college football, not the SEC, but simply having experience in the Power Four level is critical.

The Shreveport, La. native also possesses all the skills necessary to successfully run the up-tempo, high-flying Lebby offense. The fifth-year senior can run and pass and has shown that he can throw accurately while on the move.

"I watch him (Shapen) and say that is my kind of guy," Lebby said. "He can make every throw on the field and keep plays alive with his feet." 

Lebby has coached a pair of quarterbacks in his career as they adjusted to his new scheme, once at UCF and another at Ole Miss. In 2019, at Central Florida, Lebby was promoted to offensive coordinator, and the starting quarterback was Dillon Gabriel.

Gabriel is now a star in college football and plays at Oregon, but before the fame, he was just a freshman learning the ropes. However, despite his youth, Gabriel had a successful season as he threw for 3,563 yards, 29 touchdowns, and seven interceptions, leading his team to a 10-3 record.

Lebby and Gabriel also worked together in Norman for two seasons, which launched both men's careers. The 5-11 204-pound quarterback never ran much under Lebby. His career high in rushing yards came this past season, when he rushed for 373 yards, which is a bit different than the next guy.

Lebby moved from UCF to Ole Miss in 2020 and once again dealt with an inexperienced quarterback. Matt Corral was coming into his redshirt sophomore season when Lebby arrived in Oxford.

The 4-star recruit played sparingly in his first two seasons and was passed by freshman John Ryhs Plumlee during the 2019 season. However, the talent was there for Corral, and he was set to be the starter in 2020 under Lebby and Kiffin.

It all clicked for Corral that season, as the California native threw for 3,337 yards, 29 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, and 506 yards rushing. The former Carolina Panther had the most success of any Lebby quarterback running the ball, totaling 1,120 yards in his two years under Lebby.

Now, to Shapen, how does he stack up compared to both of the mentioned quarterbacks? First of all, he needs talented players around him, and State did a nice job of turning the offensive line into a strength with four transfer portal signees, notably Makylan Pounders, running back Davon Booth, and a trio of transfer wide receivers headed by Kelly Akharaiyi.

As mentioned, Shapen has the tools to run this offensive effectively, and what stuck out most is his ability to throw an accurate deep ball. Corral and Gabriel had strong arms, and Shapen was the same as he showcased the touch and power needed to successfully connect on the shot plays; Lebby dials up.

His ability to improvise while on the move also stood out, but Shapen will likely not run the football as much as Corral. He has the ability, but it is not his playing style.

The most important aspect of a successful quarterback is poise, and Shapen displayed it at Baylor. Rarely did he bail from the pocket too soon; instead, he stood in there and made accurate throws while facing rushers.

During his redshirt freshman season, he led the Bears to a Big 12 title with a win over Oklahoma State. He finished the game 23-28 with 180 yards, three touchdowns, and no picks.

All three of the quarterbacks listed share similarities, but Shapen could lag behind talent-wise, and maybe Lebby can unleash hidden potential. Corral was benched the year prior, but Lebby made him one of the top quarterbacks in the country in his final year.

However, Shapen has something critical over both guys: experience. Will he be an All-SEC performer? Likely not, with the likes of Quinn Ewers, Jaxson Dart, and Carson Beck in the conference, but if he can stay healthy, he is capable of having a career year, leading an exciting offense for the Bulldogs, and getting them back into the postseason.