Kamario Taylor impressing as Bulldogs continue to prepare for bowl

It’s difficult for any person involved with Mississippi State football to hide their excitement for what’s ahead with quarterback KaMario Taylor, and Jeff Lebby might be at the front of the line.

Lebby inherited Taylor when he became State’s coach after the 2023 season. The Noxubee County standout is a lifelong Bulldog with a bloodline directly tied to the quarterback position. But even when Lebby first saw him play, he might not have been able to know exactly what had fallen into his lap.

It hasn’t taken Lebby long to figure it out as he got Taylor in the spring of this year and watched as the young man began to soak everything up like a sponge. By the end of the year, it was impossible to keep him off the field. Now, Taylor is the face of the program at the end of his freshman season and is leading State in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on January 2.

“I haven’t been around any like him,” Lebby stated. “He’s got a lot of work to do, there’s no doubt about that. But just his command, his presence in the building, who he is every single day, there’s this great amount of consistency. It is really hard for young people to operate that way. I’ve got my thumb on him pretty good every single day and he is naturally about the right things. An incredible kid. He wants to please, he wants to get coached and he wants to play well.”

While Lebby has tried to ease the freshman into his role, he can’t publicly shy away from what he has at his disposal. Taylor was a top 10 quarterback nationally by every publication and On3 was the highest on his talent as he was rated the No. 41 player overall.

He’s got things that can’t be taught. He’s 6’4, 230 pounds and can run the football and throw it effortlessly. But what has been an ever-growing aspect of his game that has been the most impressive to Lebby is his leadership ability. That’s something that has only improved since he took over first team reps before the matchup with Ole Miss.

A month of extra bowl practice has only grown his ability to lead the team and they’re responding.

“Just his presence, how vocal he is whether it’s the offense or in a team setting or whatever it is, you can just feel him and his leadership abilities a lot more today than you could six weeks ago,” Lebby said. “I think that’s probably been the biggest difference, naturally.”

Kromenhoek helping Bulldogs finish strong

Taylor has had a strong year when given the opportunity. He has rushed for 395 yards and seven touchdowns and has another 388 passing yards with four touchdowns and an interception. In his Egg Bowl start, Taylor threw for 178 yards and rushed for another 173 yards and two scores.

His emergence has already sent regular starter Blake Shapen home for bowl prep as he’s moved on from his time at State and backup Luke Kromenhoek has announced his decision to transfer. Kromenhoek came to Starkville from Florida State but has read the writing on the wall that Taylor will be the Bulldogs’ guy.

Despite that, he’s earned the respect of State fans and his teammates and coaches as he’s set to finish out his time with the Bulldogs in Charlotte.

“Luke’s been awesome, been great. He’s been working his butt off trying to get better,” Lebby said. “He wants to be coached. The situation is exactly what it is and I totally understand where he’s coming from. That’s college football these days. Luke has a chance to be a great player, really talented, really intelligent. So appreciative of him staying with us, going through this, being a great teammate and excited for what he’s going to be able to go do next.”

While the bowl game is not a true indication of 2026, it’s a chance for Taylor and the Bulldogs to springboard into 2026. Lebby is in a 7-17 hole since taking over as head coach but has begun the slow build to getting the program back on track and Taylor is just the guy to help him out of it.

Every day has been an opportunity to get better, and the extra month of practice has been invaluable for Taylor. On January 2, he has a chance to get a head start on what should be a breakout sophomore campaign.

“I think just the daily reps of it, trying to create consistency with him fundamentally has been huge,” Lebby said. “He has great confidence in the way he can go throw the football. We continue to work through some accuracy things, but he wants to play perfect. It’s not ever going be that way, but it’s what you love about him as he’s striving to go do that.”