A former Jeff Lebby quarterback is on the move, and he might give the Bulldogs a look

After a disappointing season, Mississippi State football has a lot of work to do in the transfer portal to help turn their roster around. Quarterback is not viewed as one of the positions that Mississippi State needs to heavily pursue in the transfer portal, as good options already exist on campus. But there's one high-level portal entrant at the position that may get a look considering he already has a close relationship with the Bulldogs' head coach.

Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold is entering the transfer portal

Quarterback Jackson Arnold is transferring from Oklahoma. The former 99-overall 5-star prospect from the class of 2023 is leaving the Sooners after two seasons in Norman.

As the starting QB for Oklahoma this season, Arnold threw for 1421 yards, 12 TDs, and three INTs on 62.6% completion percentage. He added 444 yards and three scores on the ground.

Arnold was benched during a Week 4 loss to Tennessee and did not play the next two games. But he returned to action in a loss to South Carolina, and following the firing of OC Seth Littrell, Arnold took back over as OU's starting QB for the remainder of the season.

Jackson Arnold is very close with Jeff Lebby

As soon as news broke that Arnold was transferring, many began tying him to Mississippi State. And it's very obvious as to why. Jackson Arnold is incredibly tight with Jeff Lebby.

Oklahoma offered Jackson Arnold out of high school right after hiring Jeff Lebby as their offensive coordinator. He committed to the Sooners not long after that and stayed locked-in until his signing in December of 2022. Lebby was his primary recruiter throughout the process.

Arnold then, of course, spent a year playing under Lebby in 2023. And while Dillon Gabriel was Oklahoma's star quarterback, Arnold played a role in the offense. He was the teams backup as a true freshman and regularly came in as a change-up for the offense. Arnold is a much better runner than Gabriel was and also offered more arm talent than the Sooners' starter.

By all accounts, Jeff Lebby thinks incredibly highly of Jackson Arnold, and Jackson Arnold loved playing for him. Based on that alone, you have to think a reunion is being considered. But would that be the right move?

Would this move make sense for either party?

While it's easy to connect the dots between Arnold and Lebby, Mississippi State's current situation at QB muddies the waters a bit here as to whether or not a reunion makes sense for either side. True freshman QB Michael Van Buren just finished up a solid debut season in Starkville. He's Lebby's own "hand-picked guy" under center for MSU.

Van Buren is seen as the future for the program, but veteran Blake Shapen, who began the season as the starter, is also hoping to be granted a sixth year of eligibility and return after suffering an injury in September of this year. If Shapen gets that extra year, there will be battle between he and Van Buren.

Does Jackson Arnold, who only has two years of eligibility remaining, want to walk into a situation where they may already be a tight battle? And even if Shapen can't return, Arnold beating out Van Buren wouldn't be a sure thing by any means. While I'm sure Arnold isn't above embracing competition, there's the reality that if he's going to achieve his NFL dreams, he has to get on the field. That may make him hesitant to come to Starkville.

Now from a MSU perspective, Lebby likely will want to add another QB to the room. The signing of KaMario Taylor gives the Bulldogs an elite player on the roster, but Taylor needs some development. You want this to be a redshirt year for him. Even if Shapen is back, you'd still prefer a third available QB. And if Shapen is gone, adding someone else is a necessity.

You can't have too many talented arms in the QB room, and you shouldn't be worried about scaring off anyone already on the roster. That's all the reason to go after Jackson Arnold. But there's a caveat. It's the NIL world, so these moves don't happen for free. A QB with Arnold's talent likely has a high price tag, and for a State team where QB isn't a high priority, what are you willing to spend at that position?

If Arnold is eager for the chance to play for Lebby and State wouldn't have to allocate much of their NIL resources for him (perhaps Lebby would get a discount given their relationship), then I think this is a move you make. Otherwise, you likely look elsewhere for QB depth.