Jeff Lebby gives honest assessment of where Mississippi State backup QB battle is

It was a difficult first season for Jeff Lebby at Mississippi State. Much of that struggle came down to an injury suffered by quarterback Blake Shapen early in the season. He’s returned to Starkville healthy now, but there is now a battle to see who his new backup quarterback is going to be.

With Fall Camp now underway, that backup QB battle has heated up. It’s a competition that’s going to remain open for a while, but Lebby is excited about how that competition is going.

“It is going to be a competition and a constant battle,” Jeff Lebby said. “I see that happening all the way through. I’m excited about both those guys in a big-time way. But it is, and it’s healthy. It’s good, it’s great for our unit, it’s great for the position group, and I love coaching both of them.”

When Shapen went down last season, he was largely replaced by Michael Van Buren. He had flashed some talent, but was in a difficult situation as a true freshman starting games in the SEC. In the offseason, he’d transfer and end up at LSU, where he’s expected to be a backup quarterback himself for the 2025 season.

Jeff Lebby has three quarterbacks on the roster outside of Blake Shapen. That notably includes two quarterbacks who are competing for the job head-to-head.

First, Florida State transfer Luke Kromenhoek came to Mississippi State this offseason. In what proved to be a difficult season for the Seminoles, where they had their own quarterback injuries, Kromenhoek did see playing time as a true freshman. He completed 52.4 percent of his passes for 502 yards and 3 touchdowns with two interceptions in six games. He also rushed for 113 yards. Now a sophomore, he’s looking to take a step forward under Jeff Lebby.

The other quarterback who seems to be battling for the backup job is KaMario Taylor. A four-star recruit in the Class of 2025, Taylor played his high school football at Noxubee County in Macon, Mississippi. He was the eighth-ranked quarterback and the 77th-ranked player overall in that recruiting cycle.

Parker Puckett, another true freshman, rounds out the Mississippi State quarterback room. A Mississippi native, he appears to be the fourth quarterback option available to Lebby.

Throughout his career, Jeff Lebby has become known for working with and developing quarterbacks. Current Cleveland Browns quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who Lebby worked with at UCF and Oklahoma, is perhaps the best-known example. So, the hope is that Blake Shapen thrives this season before those backups develop into future starters for the Bulldogs.