Baylor QB Shapen plans to enter transfer portal

Blake Baumgartner, ESPN Staff WriterNov 27, 2023, 05:38 PM ET

Baylor redshirt junior quarterback Blake Shapen told ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Monday that he will enter the transfer portal once it opens on Dec. 4.

Shapen, who started 23 games for the Bears over three seasons, has at least one year of eligibility remaining and will be able to play immediately. He is looking to compete for a starting job at a winning program.

The 6-foot, 206-pound Shapen appeared in eight games for Baylor in 2023, completing 61.7%% of his passes for 2,188 yards with 13 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Baylor (3-9, 2-7 Big 12), which finished the season 11th in the conference in total offense (377.8 YPG) and tied with BYU for last in the Big 12 in scoring (23.1 PPG), lost its final five games of the season.

As a result, offensive coordinator Jeff Grimes was fired on Sunday. Grimes was the Bears’ offensive coordinator for three years and is the second offensive coordinator whom head coach Dave Aranda has dismissed in four years.

Two years removed from leading the program to a 12-2 season, a Sugar Bowl victory and a top-five finish in the AP poll, Aranda (23-25 in four seasons in Waco) will return for a fifth season in 2024 after two straight under-.500 campaigns.