State’s roster shift gives Taylor, Bothwell bigger leadership roles

Mississippi State leans on young leaders Kamario Taylor and Fluff Bothwell as changing roster demands new voices heading into the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Ole Miss Rebels in the first half at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field in Starkville, Miss. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

STARKVILLE, Miss. — College football coaches love to talk about leadership.

They love it even more when the locker room tells them who the leaders are before they ever have to ask. Mississippi State did not need a team meeting or a motivational speech this time.

The roster changes spoke loudly enough.

Players left for the portal. A veteran quarterback moved on. The depth chart thinned out in key places.

Into that open space walked two unlikely front men: freshman quarterback Kamario Taylor and sophomore running back Fluff Bothwell.

They didn’t plan it. They didn’t campaign for it. But as the Bulldogs navigated a season with more bends than a Delta back road, two young players found themselves becoming the steady voices in Jeff Lebby’s program.

Bothwell arrived last winter from South Alabama and initially mistook Taylor for a wide receiver. That lasted until Taylor pulled out a highlight tape in the academic center — the modern version of a business card.

“I knew he was special then,” Bothwell said in a press conference earlier this week. “Ever since then, our bond has become close.”

That bond now sits at the center of State’s identity, especially with the Bulldogs preparing for Wake Forest in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl on Jan. 2.

They aren’t just playing out the string. They’re setting the tone.

Kamario Taylor should be the Heisman front runner heading into next season.

What other freshman with such limited playing time has shown so much potential?

Spoiler: no one

KT is the best qb in CFB next year, and the best player. Don’t sleep on him pic.twitter.com/o8LvACenyZ

— No Xffseason (@noXFFSEASON) December 5, 2025

Roster in motion puts Taylor in spotlight

The Bulldogs finished the regular season 5–7 after losing seven of their final eight games. It wasn’t pretty, but it didn't stop Taylor from carving out his place in the program’s structure.

He earned his first start in the Egg Bowl, and even though the Dawgs fell 38–19 to Ole Miss, his two touchdown runs were the highlight of an otherwise slow night.

It was enough to signal where Mississippi State is going.

“Got another chance and another opportunity to show what Mississippi State is going to become,” Taylor said.

With Blake Shapen gone, the bowl practices pushed Taylor into a leadership role faster than most freshmen experience. He became the first-team quarterback in December, and teammates found themselves looking to him more often.

That leadership extended beyond the field.

The transfer portal opens the same day as the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and Taylor said players from other schools have already contacted him about Mississippi State, curious about Lebby’s system and the direction of the program.

“The proof is in the pudding,” Taylor said. “When they talk to Lebby, he’s going to let it be known that what we’re building here is very special.”

He said offensive players both inside and outside the program want to know what State is becoming. Taylor, still early in his career, already feels part quarterback, part recruiter.

“They’ll know when they talk to him,” Taylor said. “That’s all that I’m going to say.”

Mississippi State RB Fluff Bothwell will return for the 2026 season! Fluff and Kamario will feed families next season 😩. #HailState🐶 pic.twitter.com/dUsridqWyA

— Hail State Report (@HailStateReport) December 10, 2025

Bothwell’s return anchors Dawgs’ rebuild

In a world where players often wait until the last minute to announce anything, Bothwell made it simple.

On Dec. 9, he said he’d be back in 2026. He didn’t need to draw it out or create suspense.

“Just the belief I have in the head guy Coach Lebby and the guy (Taylor) you just got done talking to,” Bothwell said. “I believe there’s going to be special moments and things created here.”

The Bulldogs needed that kind of commitment. With roster movement becoming an annual event, State has been searching for players who want to grow into long-term anchors.

For the Dawgs, Bothwell’s decision wasn’t just good news — it was stabilizing.

Taylor reacted the way a freshman quarterback would react when his top rusher decides he’s not going anywhere.

“Words can’t even explain honestly,” he said. “I was at a loss for words… Next thing you know I see an Instagram post pop up and I said, ‘Let’s go, Fluff. We’re running it back.’”

That reaction, almost childlike in excitement, highlighted how rare continuity can be in the modern game.

Leadership showing in different way

The Bulldogs are not selling perfection. They aren’t pretending a 5–7 year came with easy answers.

But in the middle of a reshuffling roster, two young players started speaking up, pushing forward, and making decisions that reflect where State hopes to go.

They still want to beat Wake Forest. That hasn’t changed. But whether they win or not, the Bulldogs will leave Charlotte with something they did not have last year: a clear idea of who leads them.

Key takeaways

• Mississippi State’s roster changes opened the door for Taylor and Bothwell to emerge as central leaders.
• Taylor is already fielding portal interest from players wanting to join Lebby’s offense.
• Bothwell’s early return announcement gives State a rare piece of stability heading into 2026.