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Michael Van Buren will be staying in the SEC.
The former Mississippi State quarterback is transferring to LSU, he announced on Sunday afternoon. He spent most of the 2024 campaign as Mississippi State’s starter after Blake Shapen went down with a season-ending injury.
Van Buren played well considering his inexperience. He completed 54.7% of his passes for 1,886 yards, 11 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He averaged 7.4 yards per attempt as well. He’ll now take his talents to Baton Rouge.
LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier has already announced his return for the 2025 season, so Van Buren seems likely to be headed for a reserve role in 2025. However, by transferring to LSU a year before the starting job opens up, Van Buren could be in prime position to land the starting role in 2026.
Van Buren was a highly-rated prospect coming out of high school. A former Oregon commit, Van Buren was the No. 15 quarterback in the country for the class of 2024, per 247Sports Composite rankings.
LSU and Mississippi State will not play in 2025, so Van Buren will have to wait at least a year for an opportunity to face his former team — if he ever gets that chance. The SEC has not yet released its schedule for 2026 and beyond.
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Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
