Mississippi State hasn't been featured inside the AP Top 25 since its 2022 season under Mike Leach, and hasn't had a double-digit-win season since 2014 under Dan Mullen. The Bulldogs enter every year just trying to keep their heads above water. But this one feels different.
Mississippi State sits undefeated at 3-0, riding back-to-back road wins over Minnesota and South Carolina. They're ranked 24th in the country, and they have one man to thank for it: sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor. Through three games, Taylor has completed 68.3% of his passes for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns, tied for second-most in college football, with just one interception, along with 178 rushing yards and a rushing score.
He's quickly climbing the Heisman Trophy ladder, and with that rise has come speculation about whether he could be pursued by other SEC powerhouse programs after this season. The school's athletic director Zac Selmon recently addressed Taylor's future as the Bulldogs' QB. "We're going to be as competitive as we need to be," Selmon told On3's Andy Staples on keeping Taylor at Mississippi State.
More news: Ole Miss Coach Pete Golding Gives Trinidad Chambliss the Ultimate Compliment More news: Oregon Hit With Blunt Warning Ahead of Crucial USC Showdown Taylor, a Macon, Mississippi, native just a 40-minute drive from Starkville, was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and the No. 8 quarterback in the 2025 class. He chose Mississippi State over offers from UCF, Georgia, Missouri, Texas A&M, and others. So far, the decision has paid off for both him and the Bulldogs.
After backing up Blake Shapen last season, Taylor has taken over the starting role and now finds himself on the verge of a potentially historic season under head coach Jeff Lebby, who's still searching for his first winning season at Mississippi State. But the real test has yet to come. They'll host Missouri on Saturday before a gauntlet of SEC opponents: versus Alabama, at LSU, versus Oklahoma, and at Texas.
They'll also head to Oxford to face rival Ole Miss to close out the regular season, a game that could be for a spot in the College Football Playoff. More news: Steve Spurrier Drops Bold Prediction for Tennessee-Texas Showdown
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