Mike Leach's final quarterback commit is transferring from Mississippi State

The transfer portal is beginning to get active with Mississippi State Bulldogs. Since State's 2024 season came to an end, we've seen a handful of players enter their name into the portal. All of those players have been on the offensive side of the ball, and on Monday, we saw our first quarterback enter the portal.

Redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Parson enters transfer the portal

Redshirt freshman quarterback Chris Parson has entered his name in the transfer portal. The 4-star signee from Brentwood, TN signed with the Bulldogs in the 2023 class.

Parson was a coveted QB recruit for the Bulldogs. An Elite 11 Finalist, he flipped from the Florida State to the Bulldogs just before the start of the 2022 season. Parson saw action as a true freshman, starting on the road at Texas A&M in 2023. This season, he saw a handful of snaps, coming in as a wildcat QB on occasion.

Parson was the last true tie Mississippi State had to Mike Leach

Chris Parson's transfer comes as no surprise. He was effectively running third string behind Blake Shapen and Michael Van Buren, both of whom have the chance to return next season. And with elite freshman Kamario Taylor joining the program, it's clear his chances at being the starter in Starkville had come to an end.

Still, the departure of Parson is a somewhat sad signal for the program. Chris Parson was the last quarterback to ever commit to Mike Leach. He's the final passer The Pirate ever chose to run his legendary Air Raid attack. And though Leach passed before Parson ever got the chance to suit up for him, he took pride in being a part of Leach's final recruiting class.

There's also the fact that Parson was specifically viewed as a momentous signee for Mississippi State. His dual-threat capabilities suggested that Leach's Air Raid was about to see a shift, becoming even more difficult to stop with a QB capable to hurting defenses with his legs.

And he was someone the coaching staff raved over. This picture of Mike Leach, State's offensive coaches, and recruiting staff taking a break from practice to watch Parson announce his commitment to MSU paints a very clear picture of what they thought he was capable of.

It's a shame that we never got to see Chris Parson running Leach's offense due entirely to circumstances out of his control. But he deserves all the credit in the world for sticking with the program for as long as he did despite those circumstances. Had he chosen to not sign with State to begin with, he would've been more than justified.

But instead he stayed solid to his commitment and remained apart of the program under two coaching staffs. He deserves the chance to be a starter elsewhere, and I hope he's incredibly successful.