THIBODAUX, La. ― New Mississippi State football quarterback Blake Shapen said he didn't need a sales pitch from new Bulldogs coach Jeff Lebby.

A firsthand demonstration was enough.

Shapen, who spent the first four years of his college career at Baylor, received an education in Lebby's offense from the opposite sideline in November 2022, when Lebby served as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator. Shapen's Bears escaped Norman with a 38-35 win that day, but an impression had been made.

"I got to witness his offense in person, so I knew," Shapen said at the Manning Passing Academy on Friday. "He didn’t really have to say much to me for me to hop on board. Obviously he recruited me, but it wasn’t much of a sales pitch. I wanted to be there.”

Available to the media for the first time since his transfer, Shapen spoke from the campus of Nicholls State, where the Manning family annually invites some of college football's top quarterbacks to instruct a four-day youth camp.

Shapen ranks among the most important members of a 19-man transfer class for Lebby. Zach Arnett posted a 5-6 record with the Bulldogs and didn't complete a full season before Mississippi State fired him.

Lebby, in his first head coaching job, is tasked with building something new in Starkville. Shapen said he knows that process can come with bumps and bruises, but it appealed to him anyway.

"I have trust in them," he said. "I watched (Lebby) be an offensive guy at Oklahoma and the things they did, and that attracted me. So, my biggest deal is I wanna go win football games. Obviously, I wanna play in the SEC and I wanna put up numbers. That was the biggest deal.”

Missing four games due to injury, Shapen threw for 2,188 yards, 13 touchdowns and three interceptions last season. In 27 career appearances at Baylor, he totaled 5,574 passing yards, 36 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

His powerful right arm and ability to get the ball out of his hand quickly make him a strong fit for what Lebby is trying to build, he said.

"I think we’re in a good spot," Shapen said of the offense's development. "I think we had a really good spring and were able to take strides. Obviously, it’s new to a lot of people. A lot of people haven’t been in that type of offense. Obviously, you're going to have your struggles and it’s a process. I’m excited about where we are and where we finished the spring. We had a good spring game.”

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Asked what needs to happen in the summer for the Bulldogs to be successful in 2024, Shapen stressed the importance of sticking to the process — and indicated that he knows what outsiders are saying about Mississippi State.

"I feel like there’s not many expectations for us and people have us at the bottom of the totem pole right now, he said. "I feel like that’s a good thing for us. It takes a lot of pressure off. I feel like for us, if we just keep working, stay together as a unit and just trust in our guys and the guys around each other, I think we’ll have a good year.”

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State football: Blake Shapen explains transfer decision