Bulldogs' 4-0 Start Feels Different This Time With Taylor Leading The Charge

There is some optimism gliding through the winds of Starkville right now and it starts and ends with Mississippi State starting quarterback Kamario Taylor.

The sophomore passer had a high ceiling coming out of nearby Macon, but blossoming into a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate this early in his career is exactly what the program needed.

Forget about him looking for that gigantic payday, Mississippi State is the only place he's ever wanted to be.

Kamario Taylor on the narrative that he should leave Mississippi State after this season:

"If you know me, you know I bleed maroon and white." pic.twitter.com/deCf48O56W
— The Next Round (@NextRoundLive) September 27, 2026

"It's kinda hard because I'm in the season," Taylor said. "I don't like to reply; I don't like to look at things like that during the season, but like, when people come to me, it's hard to talk to them the way I want to talk to them. But if you know me, you know I bleed maroon and white."

For the second straight season, the Bulldogs are off to a 4-0 start, but this feels different.

This team doesn't have the gaping holes across the roster.

There is depth on each side of the football.

Offensively, Jeff Lebby has them looking like a well oiled machine with Taylor completing 69.2% of his passes for 1,192 yards, 14 touchdowns, and just two interceptions through the first four games of the season.

His weapons like Fluff Bothwell, Anthony Evans, and Sanfrisco Magee have all stepped up their games ahead of a stretch of SEC games that will test truly how far they've come as a program.

Kamario Taylor is quickly becoming one of the most exciting QBs in college football.

27/38, 360 PASS YDS, 3 PASS TD, 1 INT, 1 RUSH TD vs Missouri

He led No. 24 Mississippi State past No. 19 Missouri to move the Bulldogs to 4-0. https://t.co/WxidFFKlDe pic.twitter.com/V0Y9Mm1uJv
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) September 27, 2026

Defensively, Zach Arnett has his unit playing lights out, technically sound and dares opponents to match their physicality. Though they rank No. 74 nationally in total defense, they're only allowing 21 points per game, and have only yielded four plays of 30 or more yards.

The Bulldogs' philosophical blend of bend-don't-break defense complements the offensive firepower almost perfectly, which is exactly the look Jeff Lebby's former teams have provided.

When Taylor was needed most Saturday night against Missouri, he delivered once again by completing 27-of-38 pass attempts for 360 yards, and three touchdowns, including the game winning score with 3:57 left in the fourth quarter.

His star continues to shine when the lights turn brightest. Despite taking an early double-digit lead in the first half, Missouri seized all the momentum to take an early 24-17 lead into the fourth quarter.

Taylor wouldn't be denied, as he surgically picked apart the Tigers defense with a 40-yard shot to Evans, followed by the go-ahead touchdown to Magee.

Next up for Mississippi State is the Alabama Crimson Tide, a program the Bulldogs have lossed 16 straight games to dating back to 2007. But if the Bulldogs can find a way to pull off an upset of the No. 8 ranked team in the country, Taylor will become a household name for good.

With this electric surge, fans may eventually have to entertain an old water cooler conversation that would've sounded ridiculous less than a month ago.

He might even surpass the legend of Dak Prescott.

Sign up to our free Mississippi State on SI newsletter for daily updates on all things Bulldogs.

Add us as a preferred source on Google