After an impressive season from true freshman quarterback Michael Van Buren in Year 1 of the Jeff Lebby era at Mississippi State, few would have expected the Bulldogs to be in the quarterback market this offseason. Nevertheless, a game of QB musical chairs ensued, as it often does in the transfer portal era.
Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold, whom Lebby coached in Norman in 2023 was connected to Mississippi State once he entered the transfer portal, then Van Buren jumped in the portal, Arnold committed to Auburn, and Van Buren fled for LSU. That left Lebby with a hole in the quarterback room, until Tuesday when he landed Florida State transfer Luke Kromenhoek.
The 2024 season was an unmitigated disaster in Tallahassee. D.J. Uiagalelei floundered in Mike Norvell’s offense, as did backup QB Brock Glenn, which forced Kromenhoek onto the field in his true freshman season. The 6-foot-4 208-pound four-star recruit played in six games, burning his redshirt, and completed 52.4% of his passes for 502 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions. The Savannah Georgia product also ran for 113 yards on 63 carries, and had his best performance of the year against Charleston Southern, throwing three touchdowns with no turnovers.
Despite his billing as a former four-star Kromenhoek will almost certainly be forced to compete for the starting job in Starkville with veteran Blake Shapen, returning for an additional season via a medical hardship waiver after early season injuries in 2024, and four-star true freshman KaMario Taylor.
Taylor recently signed with the Bulldogs, the headliner of Lebby’s 2025 recruiting class. The 6-foot-4 205-pound Macon, Mississippi native is the No. 13 quarterback in the country by 247Sports Composite rankings and the 140th-ranked player in the country.
Kromenhoek is the eighth portal addition for Lebby already this offseason, and with three years of eligibility remaining, if he’s able to win the starting job, will be the most important. Lebby’s offense is particularly quarterback-friendly and if Kromenhoek can thrive in Starkville, it could further complicate an increasingly crowded QB room and force another round of portal movement next offseason.