100 Day Bulldog Countdown: 2 Days - No. 2, QB Blake Shapen and SAF Isaac Smith

Year two of the Jeff Lebby era has arrived and the Mississippi State coach is back to work.

After a disappointing first season, the coach and his staff are doing what they can to get things back on track in Starkville. The players on the field will be the difference for State this season if they are to make a return and we’re going to discuss every single one of them.

As we do every year, we’re counting down 100 days until State’s first game at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg on August 30. Over this period of time, we’ll breakdown every scholarship player on the roster, look back at great moments in MSU history and even talk about legends that have come before the current Bulldogs.

Today, we look at two players that are arguably the most important pieces of the team on their respective sides of the ball.

2 Days: No. 2, Sr. Quarterback Blake Shapen           

Last season was a disappointment for Shapen.

The former Baylor signal caller transferred to State hoping to end his college career with some explosive numbers on offense and playing in a scheme that was QB friendly. Instead, it came to an abrupt end just four games into the season.

Shapen had passed for 974 yards, eight touchdowns and just one interception with a completion percentage of 69% before he took a hit in the Florida game that left a mark. He finished out the drive for the Bulldogs in the fourth quarter, but the injury would be season-ending to his shoulder and he would have some decisions to make.

Shortly after that injury, conversations with Lebby and Shapen’s family revealed that the QB did not want to go out that way. His plan was to rehab and come back to State for one more go at it. That’s what the entire offseason has been about for Shapen and he’s attacked it the right way.

The competitive nature in Shapen’s DNA shows that he’s not one to count out. He comes from strong football roots in Shreveport, La., where he played ball at Evangel Christian. A former baseball prospect, Shapen was getting interest from around the country to as one of the top shortstops in America by his senior season. He even took part in the Under Armor All-American baseball game during 2019.

Shapen’s original plans included playing both sports on the next level and he initially committed to Arizona State to do just that. As options grew later in the process, Shapen had the chance to consider places like USC, UCLA and Baylor. By signing day, he had decided to switch things up and play for the Bears.

It was a redshirt season for Shapen in year one, but his big moment would come in 2021. An injury to starting quarterback Gerry Bohanon opened up the door for Shapen late in the season. After getting his feet wet in some earlier games, Shapen started the final two and shined.

The second of those games came in the Big 12 Championship against Oklahoma State where he would set the Big 12 title game record with 17-straight completions. He finished the night 23-of-28 for 180 yards and three touchdowns on the way to a conference championship. He ended the year with 596 yards passing and five touchdowns to zero interceptions in six games – three of which saw extended action beyond a couple of passes in relief.

One of Shapen’s best seasons came in 2022 when he was the full-time starter for the Bears. The sophomore had 2,790 yards and 18 touchdowns with 10 interceptions. He was set to have an even bigger junior season as he had 2,188 yards and 13 touchdowns with just three interceptions in only eight games, but a head injury would keep him limited the rest of the way.

After the season, Shapen decided to find a new home for his final year and Lebby got the QB he was looking for out of the portal. Competition has heated up this offseason with more talent in the room in KaMario Taylor and Luke Kromenhoek. Still, Shapen has been firmly in position as the team’s starter. He has a chance to cement a strong legacy in college football with a big year.

No. 2, Jr. Safety/Linebacker Isaac Smith   

At this stage in Smith’s career, it’s hard not to think of him as a Bulldog through and through.

The Itawamba AHS standout was wanted by some of the top teams in the country with the Bulldogs having to battle with LSU and Ole Miss the most. As the son of a former Ole Miss player and the Tigers giving a great push, it was going to be a tough task to land him in maroon and white, but he announced for the Bulldogs on signing day of 2023.

A relationship that Smith had built with the staff led by former defensive coordinator and then promoted head coach Zach Arnett would be a big deal. Smith also had a different kind of connection to Starkville and the University that made him feel more at home. Through a lot of trials as a Bulldog, that love seems to only be cemented.

Smith came to State as one of the top safeties in the country. Rivals had him as the No. 88 player overall, the No. 6 safety and the No. 3 player in the state as he was considered a consensus four-star prospect by every major publication.

At IAHS, Smith did it all for the Indians. The Under Armor All-American emerged as Mr. Football his senior season in Class 4A and had 65 tackles, nine interceptions, 4.0 tackles for loss and a forced fumble. He also played offense for his team and racked up 1,475 yards and 18 touchdowns rushing and receiving.

When Smith arrived in Starkville for the spring after his signing, a shoulder injury was the first point of emphasis for the State staff. Surgery required him to miss all of the spring and set him back on his progress as a first-year SEC player, but Smith would ultimately still find his way on the field.

Playing in all 12 games, Smith made 15 tackles on the season and went from a special teams player to entering the mix on defense at safety. That set the stage for his role to really jump last year.

State had some major struggles during his sophomore campaign last season but his play wasn’t one of them. Smith missed just one game due to a concussion but led the SEC with 127 tackles and had three pass deflections, 1.5 TFL and a forced fumble.

After being named second-team All-SEC last year, Smith is now looking to make another jump. Along with that comes improvement from the rest of the defense and the Bulldogs are looking to see that translate. He will be playing more of a hybrid linebacker role this season at the Sam in addition to his duties at safety.