Jeff Lebby reveals how Blake Shapen handled being benched for Kamario Taylor

It wasn’t an easy decision for Mississippi State Bulldogs head coach Jeff Lebby. Still, in the end, he felt it needed to be done. So, Lebby benched fifth-year senior quarterback Blake Shapen for true freshman Kamario Taylor ahead of the Egg Bowl.

That wasn’t an easy decision for Shapen to handle. Lebby admitted as much after the game that he took it hard and that it wasn’t an easy decision to make given the circumstances.

“Really hard,” Jeff Lebby said. “Incredibly hard. Blake’s poured a lot into this. He’s been an unbelievably consistent person inside our building for two years. He’s been through a lot. For him to not have the ability to go do it today, it was hard for him and hard for me because of who he has been, his toughness and how he has absolutely laid it on the line for me and this university. So, really hard for him and hate that this was the end for him.”

After playing three seasons at Baylor, Shapen transferred to Mississippi State ahead of the 2024 season. That coincided with Jeff Lebby taking the job in Starkville. He flashed some talent a season ago but suffered a shoulder injury in the Georgia game that ultimately cost him the majority of his season. He returned in 2025, won the starting job, and played the first 11 games of the year for the Bulldogs.

In that playing time, he has completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 2,433 yards and 15 touchdowns to eight interceptions. He’s also rushed for 28 yards and three touchdowns. However, he and the offense had struggled in recent weeks, which prompted the decision to start Kamario Taylor.

“Really, really hard decision for me. As we got back from Missouri, [I] thought about it non-stop on Sunday. For me, as hard as it was to make, the results hadn’t been to we needed,” Lebby said.

“For us, I felt like things had not been great up front. Who’s the guy that had the ability to make a couple of plays when things aren’t perfect? [Taylor] had done some good things, and I felt like it was the right time. Again, for me, incredibly hard. Because of my love for Blake, his toughness, how he has led, and continued to be exactly who he is supposed to be. For me, really hard, but at the beginning of last week, I made that decision.”

In the Egg Bowl, Taylor completed 15 of 31 passes for 178 yards and an interception. He also rushed for a team high 173 yards and two touchdowns. However, it wasn’t enough to pull off the upset.

Lebby saw his team improve in his second season there. Still, it wasn’t enough to get bowl eligible, finishing the season with three losses in a row to go 5-7.