Head coach Jeff Lebby will not have starting quarterback Blake Shapen available when the No. 1 Texas Longhorns play the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on Saturday. Shapen sustained a season-ending shoulder injury in a 45-28 loss to the Florida Gators. Shapen will require surgery, the school confirmed on Saturday night.
Following this tragic news, Blake’s family and I are all in pain, according to MSU head football coach Jeff Lebby. “Blake is our program’s undisputed leader, the ultimate competitor, and a great comrade. I have no doubt that he will put in the utmost effort to bounce back stronger than before and that he will lead the team even from the sidelines. Blake will have our undying support as he works towards recovery, and we’ll do all in our power to assist him in obtaining a medical hardship waiver so he may make up the missed year of eligibility. Texas is accustomed to Shapen, having defeated the former Baylor quarterback 38-27 to close the 2022 regular season, but he was not present for the Longhorns’ 38-6 victory last year due to an MCL injury.
Shapen was replaced by rookie Michael Van Buren Jr. in the Gators’ defeat; he completed 7 of 13 passes for 100 yards. Florida also sacked the 6’1, 200-pound Baltimore player twice. Van Buren, a consensus four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, was offered by 19 schools, including Alabama, Miami, Michigan, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, and Tennessee. He was ranked as the No. 15 quarterback in the country by 247Sports Composite. Following back-to-back defeats to Arizona State, Toledo, and Florida, Lebby’s Mississippi State team is currently 1-3 in his first season as head coach.
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