Lebby: 'Where We're Going Is Special' With Taylor Leading The Way

When third-year coach Jeff Lebby took over at Mississippi State just a little over two seasons ago, there were doubts about the program's direction following a disappointing 2-10 season.

But there were building blocks.

A few tall hurdles, but it probably didn't seem like it would take long to get where they wanted to go.

Last year's 4-0 start to the regular season provided promise, including a thrilling home victory over Arizona State, a team that was fresh off a College Football Playoff appearance. Then came the losses, heartbreak after heartbreak.

Tennessee.
Florida.
Texas.

Each of those cut deep into the soul of every Bulldog fan. They were crushed in defeat, but Lebby's team never quite let go of the rope even if they might've wanted to at points.

That's why this 4-0 start feels different than the one a year ago, and a lot of that rides on the shoulders of star quarterback Kamario Taylor. The current state of college football says if a player becomes a superstar at a small school, then he has to seek a big payday and enter the transfer portal.

Why can that not happen in Starkville though? After all, he is a Mississippi boy who grew up just down the road in Macon and has dreamed about bringing the spotlight back to a football program that was on the precipice of national success under Dan Mullen.

Radio talk show hosts and those on the big screens are likely afraid of what a small market college football team can do. These days all it takes is being moderately good defensively with a very good quarterback in tow to make a run for a College Football Playoff bid.

But it takes silencing all the outside noise for a team to have success these days.

That means tuning out the radio, not allowing the talking heads to influence their point of view and completely ignore what Joe Blow off X might be saying about one great team just being a quarterback away from being a title contender.

Lebby has his mind right though, he doesn't give what Nick Saban or anyone else says any attention.

"I give it zero attention," Lebby said Saturday night. "For us, our guys inside our locker room, we know exactly who we got. We know exactly where we're going. There's incredible vision. There's been great vision and a great plan and people love being inside our building every day. Again, we're far from perfect, but where we're going is special. [Taylor] is going be leading us there."

That's quite the proclamation from the third-year coach who has endured plenty of growing pains over the past few years. After all, he's won and lost his share of battles on the recruiting trail and in the transfer portal. But he wants his team focused on what they control and let everything else play out as it may.

Taylor is aware of what's being said, but he doesn't want to comment on it out of respect for himself, his family, teammates and Mississippi State fans across the country. The ultimate goal is to compete for a national championship.

The Bulldogs control their own destiny, and being worried about what will happen in 2027 is unfair to everyone involved.

"It's all about being ourselves," Taylor said. "With me being a home-state kid, I'm from here. I grew up here, so I know what this program could be. Me and Isaac [Smith] brag about the protentional of it every single day. We try to just lift the guys up.

"If we are able to clean up the little details that we messed up on like the penalties, the turnovers, the small assignment busts, if we're able to pick those things up, we can get Mississippi State back to the top of the arc."

From interaction with fans, and how he speaks about Mississippi State, Taylor doesn't seem like someone trying to get out of Dodge. Just a young man playing out of his mind at the school he dreamed of leading the most.

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