Who is Chris Parson? Freshman QB could play for Mississippi State football vs. Kentucky

There’s a chance Mississippi State football throws another quarterback into the mix Saturday.

True freshman Chris Parson, who has yet to take a snap this season, could be in line for playing time when the Bulldogs host Kentucky, considering Will Rogers is still battling a shoulder injury and Mike Wright has been ineffective in two starts.

"I think it's Monday, and I don't think it's in my best interest to talk about all the specifics of the game plan," MSU coach Zach Arnett said earlier this week, leaving the door open for Parson.

In Mississippi State’s last two games, the Bulldogs scored a combined 16 points in a 7-3 win over Arkansas and a 27-13 loss to Auburn. Arnett is hoping for a spark in his offense, and it's fair to wonder if that might happen with Parson, the former four-star recruit:

Here’s what to know about Parson:

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Chris Parson 247 ranking, recruitment to Mississippi State

Parson decommitted from Florida State and committed to Mississippi State on Aug. 12, 2022, after committing to the Seminoles on July 22, 2021.

The highly touted quarterback was a four-star recruit in the 2023 recruiting class and was the nation's No. 404-ranked prospect and No. 28 quarterback, according to 247Sports’ Composite rankings.

Parson, the 6-foot-1, 210-pound passer, attended Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee, just outside of Nashville.

Parson committed to former Bulldogs coach Mike Leach and honored his pledge after Leach died in December.

REQUIRED READING: How Mike Leach impacted Mississippi State recruit Chris Parson, just before his death

Chris Parson relationship with Mike Leach

Parson pledged to Mississippi State in large part due to his relationship with Leach.

Leach invited Parson to watch Mississippi State’s bowl preparation for the ReliaQuest Bowl last December, and Parson said Leach was mentoring him in different ways just a few days before his death.

"I went down there for bowl prep," Parson said. "I was literally with him at practice on Saturday. I was next to him. He was showing me how they ran things at Mississippi State, and he was asking me if we did things similar at Ravenwood, which we did as far as the flow of practice."

Parson added: “"He said since he had gotten a little older, the signals may look different than Will Rogers' signals," Parson said. "I had to learn the signals from Coach Leach when he called them in and then pay attention to Will Rogers when he called the play in to the receivers."

Parson was regarded as one of the key members of the Bulldogs’ 2023 recruiting class, helping keep the cycle together after Leach’s death.

"We are literally the last class that Coach Leach ever recruited," Parson said he texted the other recruits. "We are the last guys that he wanted to join his program. We should wear that as a badge of honor.

"He's such a great coach and he's done so many great things for college football, we're the last group of guys that he wanted to jump on board and play for him. We shouldn't take that lightly. We should use that as a sense of pride for the rest of our careers."

More: Chris Parson: Why I signed with Mississippi State football in the SEC

Chris Parson family ties to Mississippi State

According to his Mississippi State player profile, Parson’s dad, LaMont, graduated from Mississippi State and his mom, Shon, is originally from Starkville.

Although his family is tied to Starkville, Parson moved around during high school, starting his freshman year at Duncanville High School in Texas, sophomore year at Red Oak High School (Texas) before moving to Ravenwood in Tennessee for his junior and senior year.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Who is Chris Parson? Mississippi State freshman could play vs Kentucky