THIBODAUX, La. — Mississippi State University's new football quarterback Blake Shapen said he didn't need a sales pitch from new Bulldogs coach Jeff Levy.
A direct demonstration was enough.
Scheipen, who spent the first four years of his collegiate career at Baylor, learned about Levy's offense from the opposite sideline when Levy served as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator in November 2022. Scheipen's Bears escaped with a 38-35 win over Norman that day, but the impression remained.
“I got to see his offense in person, so I knew it well,” Scheipen said Friday at the Manning Passing Academy. “He didn't have to say much to me to join the team. He recruited me, of course, but it wasn't much of a sales pitch. I just wanted to be there.”
Scheipen spoke to reporters for the first time since transferring from the campus of Nicholls State, where the Manning family annually brings together some of college football's best quarterbacks to coach a four-day youth camp.
Shapen is one of Levy's most important members of his 19-man transfer roster, after Zach Arnette finished just one season with the Bulldogs, going 5-6, before being released by Mississippi State.
Levy, in his first head coaching job, is tasked with building something new in Starkville, and while Shapen knows the process will be daunting, he said it's nonetheless fascinating.
“I trust those guys,” he said. “I saw Levy being an offensive player at Oklahoma and what they did and that's what drew me in. So my No. 1 goal is I want to win football games. Obviously I want to play in the SEC and make a mark. That was the No. 1 goal.”
Scheipen, who missed four games due to injury last season, threw for 2,188 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions. In 27 games at Baylor, he totaled 5,574 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.
He said his powerful right arm and ability to get the ball out of his hands quickly make him a great fit for what Levy is trying to build.
“I think we're in a good spot,” Scheipen said of the offensive line's development. “I think we had a really good spring and were able to make some big steps forward. Obviously, this is new for a lot of people. A lot of people have never been through an offense like that. Of course, there's going to be struggles and it's a process. I'm excited about where we are right now and where we finished the spring. We had a good spring game.”
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Asked over the summer what the Bulldogs need to be successful in 2024, Shapen stressed the importance of following the process closely and suggested he knows what outsiders are saying about Mississippi State.
“I feel like there aren't a lot of expectations for us and people are putting us at the bottom of the league right now,” he said. “I think that's good for us. It takes a lot of pressure off. If we just keep working hard, stick together as a team and trust our guys and the guys around each other, I think we'll have a good year.”
David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Reach him at deckert@gannett.com or on Twitter @davideckert98.
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