What can Texas expect from Michael Van Buren Jr.? MSU quarterback 'built for that stage'
STARKVILLE, Miss. — The national stage isn’t new to Michael Van Buren Jr.
His first high school football start for St. Frances Academy in Baltimore came as a sophomore. It was a nationally televised game at De La Salle in California. Van Buren threw four touchdown passes in the first half in a 42-28 victory. He also was an Under Armour All-American and won the game’s MVP award in January.
Moments like that are why Messay Hailemariam, Van Buren’s former high school coach, believes he will be successful as Mississippi State’s starting quarterback.
Van Buren is a true freshman, a former four-star prospect who flipped from Oregon to the Bulldogs in December after coach Jeff Lebby was hired. A season-ending shoulder injury to Blake Shapen has thrust Van Buren into the starting role. He’s also simultaneously climbed the depth chart behind the scenes.
Van Buren’s first college start will be Saturday, when the Bulldogs (1-3, 0-1 SEC) play No. 2 Texas (4-0, 0-0) at Royal-Memorial Stadium, where more than 100,000 fans are expected for the Longhorns' first SEC game.
“He was built for that stage,” Hailemariam told the Clarion Ledger.
Why Jeff Lebby picked Michael Van Buren Jr. as the starter
Mississippi State hadn’t clarified who its second-string quarterback was until last week.
Leading up to last Saturday’s loss to Florida, MSU had listed both Van Buren and redshirt freshman Chris Parson in that position. In Week 1, when MSU throttled Eastern Kentucky for its only win of the season, Parson was the first quarterback off the bench in the fourth quarter. It wasn’t much of a surprise. Parson was a former four-star, too, and he had one more year of experience, including an SEC start, on his résumé from last season.
But against Florida, it was Van Buren who played instead of Parson when Shapen left the game in the fourth quarter. On Monday, Lebby announced that Van Buren would start against Texas.
“Just predictability,” Lebby said on why he picked Van Buren. “Having some predictable outcomes, knowing what's going to happen with the ball, taking great care of the ball. He's got to do that for us on Saturday afternoon. That would be a huge part of us having a chance.”
Parson will play some, though, Lebby said, and players on Tuesday noted that both have taken snaps in practice. But Van Buren is expected to be the main quarterback.
What Van Buren can bring to Mississippi State
Van Buren is a 20-year-old freshman. He reclassified while in eighth grade, so he’s actually 11 days older than Parson.
“He's very confident, and he's not jittery,” offensive lineman Albert Reese IV said. “He's very excited for the opportunity.”
Van Buren looked sharp in the two drives he played against Florida. He guided the Bulldogs to a touchdown on his first possession, and on the second drive he scrambled to the Florida 1-yard line, but time ran out before MSU could run another play. He finished 7 of 13 for 100 yards and demonstrated a keen ability to extend plays with his legs. Of the team’s 480 total yards, 149 came on those two possessions.
“He's a competitor, he's got a live arm, and he can throw the ball in awkward positions,” Hailemariam said. “He's just a natural at it, because certain guys just got it. He's got a natural IQ football instinct. And it's one thing to execute the play when it's drawn up. It's another to be able to make stuff happen when it doesn't go the way you want it, and that's what Mike is great at. When he has to be forced out of the pocket, he has to step up, or he has to get out of situations, he starts excelling, and he does really well.”
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Where Van Buren could struggle
Lebby said not much will have to change with Van Buren running the offense, and the lack of experience is the biggest factor. Hailemariam agreed, adding that Van Buren could find trouble if he tries to do too much.
“Mike can do a lot of very similar things that Blake has the ability to do,” Lebby said.
Hailemariam spoke with Van Buren on Tuesday. His advice: “Just enjoy it, man. Pitch and catch. At the end of that day, football is meant to be played. Don't think too hard. Just be yourself.”
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@gannett.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football vs. Texas: What Michael Van Buren Jr. does
