Michael Van Buren entered the transfer portal on Tuesday night after starting nine games at quarterback for Mississippi State. The promising young quarterback decided to leave the program as rumors continue to swirl about Jackson Arnold.
If the Bulldogs cannot land the former five-star signal-caller, this most recent departure will prove costly.
Van Buren was not supposed to play this year. He committed to Mississippi State as a three or four-star prospect in the recruiting Class of 204 over 19 other offers including Alabama, Miami, Penn State, Tennessee, West Virginia, Arizona, Oregon and Pittsburgh. There was a high probability that the coaching staff in Starkville was going to encourage him to redshirt as a freshman until disaster struck.
Starting quarterback Blake Shapen, a transfer from Baylor, underwent season-ending surgery at the end of September. Van Buren took over and started the last eight games of the season.
Although the Bulldogs lost all but one game during his run, he showed flashes of greatness at various points throughout the year. His 306-yard performance against Georgia was more than enough to convince a large number of fans that Van Buren was going to be their quarterback of the future.
I could watch this clips all day.
— Hump Dawg (@HumpDawgMSU) October 13, 2024
Michael Van Buren is the future🔮 pic.twitter.com/RcyCEA6HSO
Not anymore! Van Buren is leaving Mississippi State.
Mississippi State Faithful,
You have all embraced me, supported me and nurtured me both academically and athletically in our short time together. My family and I are forever thankful to Coach Lebby, the staff, my teammates, the administrative team, and professors for their contributions to my growth as an individual. For the past year, we have worked arm and arm to generate some memorable moments in Coach Lebby’s first year, and I am confident there is more greatness to come for the program. After a lot of consideration, pray and consultation with my family, I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal with three years of eligibility left.
Thank you!
— Michael Van Buren III
The circumstances of the departure could be disastrous. He was, at the very least, going to be the backup quarterback again next college football season. Shapen is coming back so they would’ve battled it out during spring ball and fall camp.
There is another wrinkle at play here as well. Mississippi State is a “serious contender” to land Jackson Arnold. The former five-star recruit played for Lebby at Oklahoma as a freshman. There is a lot of chatter about a potential (if not likely) reunion in the Magnolia State.
Michael Van Buren presumably saw the writing on the wall and did not want to play second fiddle to Arnold or third fiddle to Arnold and Shapen. The transfer portal gave him an out.
However, it is not guaranteed that the Bulldogs will land Arnold. As things currently stand, he is slated to visit Auburn this weekend. Georgia is also in the mix.
Even though it feels inevitable that Jackson Arnold is going to play for Mississippi State, allowing Michael Van Buren to walk will prove costly if the inevitable does not happen. PORTAL SEASON IS CRAZY!