Paul Finebaum Says Kamario Taylor May Top Mississippi State’s Most Famous QB

ESPN analyst Paul Finebaum put Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor in rare company Saturday morning, comparing the Bulldogs' sophomore to the program's most famous passer hours before No. 7 Alabama visits No. 16 Mississippi State in Starkville.

Finebaum made the comparison on SEC Nation from the Junction. "We came here 10 years ago and they had Dak Prescott. They were undefeated," Finebaum said. "But they have a quarterback now that may be better than Dak Prescott."

Kamario Taylor's 2026 stats so far

Paul Finebaum Says Kamario Taylor May Top Mississippi State’s Most Famous QB — Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor (1) passes the ball during warm-ups prior to the game against the Missouri Tigers | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Taylor has completed 83 of 120 passes for 1,192 yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions through four games. His 14 touchdown passes were tied with USC quarterback Jayden Maiava for the most in the country after Week 4.

The sophomore also hits big plays. He has 20 completions of 20 or more yards, and nine of his touchdown passes covered at least 20 yards.

Taylor has also come through late in close games. He led a comeback from a 16-0 deficit at South Carolina, and he threw for 360 yards and three scores against Missouri last week. His 24-yard touchdown pass to Sanfrisco Magee with 3:57 left broke a 24-24 tie in the 31-24 win.

"I'm proud of his toughness and how he's going about his business," Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said.

Not every analyst has the Macon, Mississippi, native at the top of the SEC yet. College football analyst Josh Pate kept Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss at No. 1 in his SEC quarterback rankings after Week 4.

How does Taylor compare to Prescott?

Prescott set the bar in 2014. He threw for 3,449 yards and 27 touchdowns and ran for 986 yards and 14 more scores. The Bulldogs started 9-0 and spent five straight weeks at No. 1, the first No. 1 ranking in school history. Prescott left Starkville with 38 school records.

The 6-foot-4 passer is ahead of that scoring pace. Taylor's 14 touchdown passes in four games are more than half of Prescott's 2014 total. He also became the first Mississippi State quarterback since Prescott in 2014 to throw seven or more touchdown passes and run for a score in the first two games of a season.

Alabama at Mississippi State playoff stakes

"They have a quarterback now that may be better than Dak Prescott, Kamario Taylor." 👀@finebaum | @HailStateFB pic.twitter.com/Ry13bUqAUk
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) October 3, 2026

"Well, with a win here, and I'm about to say something I didn't think I'd ever say, Mississippi State is in the playoff picture, and it's not an exaggeration," Finebaum said.

Both teams are 4-0 overall and 2-0 in SEC play. Alabama has won 16 straight games in the series, and Mississippi State's last win came in 2007, a 17-12 decision in Starkville.

Lebby has already won more SEC games this season than he did in his first two seasons combined. Kickoff is set for noon ET on ABC.

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