Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Blake Shapen is back for his sixth season of college football. The former Baylor signal-caller transferred to Starkville to play for Jeff Lebby in 2024 and quickly cemented himself as the program's starting QB.
But after a shoulder injury ended his presumed-final season just four games in, the Shreveport, LA native was granted a medical hardship waiver to return for one last ride. Shapen spent the winter rehabbing from surgery and was full-go for the Bulldogs in the spring.
He's set to lead the State offense this fall, and at SEC Media Days, Shapen suggested that following his injury, he may have a bit more juice behind the ball.
Blake Shapen says he can throw the ball farther because of the rehab he did, and continues to do, on his shoulder pic.twitter.com/TWAR3uLwLS
— Sam Sklar (@sklarsam_) July 16, 2025
"Honestly, it's crazy because I feel like I throw it a lot farther. And that has a lot to do with the shoulder workouts I do now."Miss State QB Blake Shapen
That sounds an awful lot like the plot to the classic baseball film "Rookie of the Year," in which little leaguer Henry Rowengarter develops 100+ mph arm strength after breaking his arm and becomes a star pitcher for the Chicago Cubs.
Should we remake the movie with Shapen as the star? He was a talented high school baseball recruit for what it's worth. I'm sure there's some production company that could be sold on the pitch.
Technically, Shapen doesn't credit the injury so much as he does the rehabbing process, saying that treating his rehab seriously allowed his arm to heal back even stronger, and there's a notable difference to the zip he can put behind the ball. There's no medical miracle here but rather a lot of hard work.
More arm talent for Blake Shapen could mean a more dangerous offense for Mississippi State
All jokes about a "Rookie of the Year" remake aside, if what Blake Shapen is saying is legitimate and he truly has developed more arm strength, that could be quite valuable to the Mississippi State offense this fall.
The Jeff Lebby offense loves to take shots down the field, and though arm strength wasn't an issue for Shapen prior to his injury, having more of it isn't a bad thing when it comes to making this offense as explosive as possible. It could also allow Shapen to throw into tighter windows in the short to intermediate part of the field, creating an even more dangerous passing game for defense to contend with.
A healthy Blake Shapen was already expected to be in for the big year in Starkville in 2025. A healthy Shapen with even more arm strength could be looking at a truly special season through the air.