MACON — Kamario Taylor’s first ‘welcome to the show’ moment came last December as he and Noxubee County were in search of their sixth state title overall and first since 2017.
Facing Raleigh in the Mississippi High School Activities Association Class 3A state championship game, the Tigers needed a massive performance from their 6-4 sophomore quarterback.
He did just that, throwing for 282 yards and five touchdowns, doing all he could to keep Noxubee in the game, but in the end, the Tigers fell just short of the summit, losing 55-52.
That night, Taylor received his first collegiate offer, from Southern Miss, and it appears Golden Eagles coaches knew a special talent when they saw one.
After an offseason of long days in the gym and on the field, Taylor has proven this season to be one of Mississippi’s best high school quarterbacks, and he’ll be staying in the Magnolia State after committing to Mississippi State on Friday morning.
“When the clock hit 00:00 and we were on the losing side of it, I didn’t like that feeling,” Taylor said. “Something clicked in my mind, told me to go grind harder, go get better, work harder.”
The Bulldogs, led on the recruiting trail by offensive coordinator Kevin Barbay, were the first Southeastern Conference school and second major school overall to pursue Taylor.
He’s received interest from other Power Five programs, both in-state and out-of-state, including West Virginia, Ole Miss and Vanderbilt, and having offers from two schools separated by about three hours definitely made the choice difficult.
Having the ability to stay in Mississippi, plus playing in such an intense and powerhouse conference like the SEC turned out to be a no-brainer for him.
“The coaching staff, the amount of love that they were showing me, it made me feel like it was home,” Taylor said. “… It means a lot to join that category of guys who have come from Noxubee County that wanted to play Power Five ball, play Division I ball. I’m glad that I’m going to be part of that tradition.”
This season has been an impressive one for him, despite Noxubee County currently sitting at 3-4 overall. The Tigers don’t waiver when it comes to playing the best of the best, and such was the case again in non-district play.
Noxubee County took on a pair of state champions and a state championship game finalist earlier in the year to prepare for what was to come in district play, and Taylor has taken a massive step forward in his game.
“I know the hard work that he’s put in,” Noxubee County head coach Teddy Young said. “I know how much he loves the game, so for him to have the chance to forward his career and forward his education is my thing and I’m very excited about that.”
Through seven games, Taylor has thrown for nearly 1,900 yards and 20 touchdowns, coming off a 470-yard, five-TD performance against Kemper County last week.
His 271 passing yards per game are nearly 80 yards more than last season, and in two fewer games, he’s thrown nearly as many touchdowns and half as many interceptions as he did as a sophomore.
Taylor isn’t just doing it in the air either as he’s been impressive on the ground, running for 443 yards and seven rushing touchdowns so far.
“The biggest thing he improved on was his knowledge of the game,” Young said. “Trying to be better as a quarterback, as a leader, trying to understand different defenses. He’s spent a lot of time in the weight room this offseason, getting bigger, getting stronger, getting faster, but he’s dedicated himself to being a better football player overall.”
Friday’s news, along with that of his teammate, wide receiver Dequadrion Welch, committing to Mississippi Valley State, was big for Noxubee County.
However, the job on the field is far from done as three district games remain, and the goal of reaching that summit is firmly on the mind of everyone in that Tigers locker room.
“I’m super ready for it,” Taylor said. “I know we got the talent. We just have to buy in and work hard as a team and we’ll get that win this year.”
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 35 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion