A Breakup Best for Everyone

Keytaon Thompson is a lot of things. He is talented, hardworking, a leader, a competitor, and he is loved by Mississippi State fans. He also is a starting quarterback, just not for Mississippi State.

He came here three years ago and was able to compete for the job every single season. And, with all due respect to Thompson, he lost every single year. Next year, the QB room would’ve had two talented four-star QBs being added to the competition in Garrett Shrader and Jalen Mayden. If Thompson did not start this season, he was not going to start next year. That is not a bold prediction or hot take, it is just plain ol’ honesty. To put it simply, the other guys, not named Thompson, were Joe Moorhead quarterbacks. After the heat was put on in year one for a disappointing offense, Moorhead simply could not afford to have anything other than a Moorhead QB play for him ever again. Fans should understand this and appreciate it, and more importantly understand that it is great for both parties.

Ultimately, Thompson is going to start somewhere else and is going to do phenomenally. He gave us great memories, whether it was running all over Louisville and winning a bowl game or scoring all 18 of his touchdowns. 2-0 as a starter, 700-plus rushing yards, and a hell of a backup. Look at him, he is beautiful:

Photo by David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

He is heck of a competitor and a pretty darn good quarterback. But that is just it. At Mississippi State, the idea is to take the program from good to great, and to do that we will need a great quarterback. I am not necessarily saying that it’s Stevens or any of the others guys, but why waste any more of Thompson’s time? Why would this be something that brings anger to fans? Shouldn’t we, as fans, want our players to succeed? What happened to that phrase, “Wherever you go, we go with you?” Wouldn’t we be more upset that we had a starter who was not running our offense to its full potential? Look at it this way, KT has devoted his entire life to football. Imagine giving your entire life to being great at something and then all that work be left sitting on the sideline. Then imagine having an opportunity to put all that work to use for someone who could use you. Would you take it? If you want to be the boss at our company, been at that company for years, and the new intern comes in and takes that position from you and later on, another company can offer you that same position somewhere else, Would you take that? Think about it.

Who loses this deal?

Not Mississippi State.

Not KT.

So why are we hollering? Now think about that.

Want to discuss it? Follow me on twitter @_thealexgomez and let’s discuss. Thank you for reading and Hail State!