TAMPA, Fla. – A wall of reporters separated Kamario Taylor from Jeff Lebby.
Mississippi State’s head coach and starting quarterback were no more than 10 feet apart in a small room on the third floor of the Tampa Marriott on Water Street on Thursday, but more than a dozen Mississippi-based media members blocked the two from each other’s line of sight.
Taylor sat behind the wall of reporters, silent, scrolling on his phone and waiting for his name to be called for an interview. And even though he hadn’t yet said a word, Taylor was often the focus of the conversation.
The second question reporters asked Lebby referenced Taylor’s starts in the final two games of last season, and how that experience prepared the then-freshman quarterback to take the keys this year.
“His ability to start those last two games is huge for him and his growth,” Lebby said. “So many learning lessons inside both of those games that he’s going to be able to go back to, and already has been able to go back to to create a ton of growth for him as we move forward.”
A few questions later another reporter asked Lebby about Taylor’s ceiling, to which Lebby spoke highly of Taylor’s ability to make plays when things aren’t great.
Soon after, Lebby was asked about the offensive line’s ability to protect Taylor, (the coach believes it’s an improved group), Taylor’s love for MSU, his first time meeting Taylor (in the gym at Noxubee County High School) and what past quarterback Taylor reminded him of (2011 Heisman winner Robert Griffin III.)
An arsenal of questions all pushing Lebby to spill more and more on State’s most hyped quarterback in a decade.
Taylor, listed at 6’ 4, 230 pounds, appeared in 11 games last season, including starts in the Egg Bowl and the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against Wake Forest.
Taylor showed flashes in his starts and while backing up Blake Shapen last season, especially with his legs. He rushed for 458 yards and eight touchdowns on 82 attempts, and compared himself to the NFL’s all-time leader in rushing yards by a quarterback, Lamar Jackson. Taylor has also proven he can do it with his arm, throwing for 629 yards and five touchdowns.
“I’m a walking highlight reel,” Taylor said, when asked what those who don’t know of him should know.
A growing reputation
But not knowing of Taylor has become increasingly less common.
Clips of his 35-yard electric touchdown run against Ole Miss, and a 65-yard on target throw at the Manning Passing Academy in June have surfaced across social media algorithms. Nick Saban, the legendary Alabama coach who is widely considered one of the best to ever do it, added to Taylor’s hype on live TV earlier this week.
“Kamario Taylor, who nobody’s really heard that much about at Mississippi State,” Saban said of Taylor on SEC Now. “This guy could be the truth… he is really, really good”
“It’s more so a blessing than anything,” Taylor said of the growing expectations heading into this season. “People are acknowledging me, and they have high expectations for me.”
The expectations outside MSU’s locker room are high, but so are the expectations inside the program. Lebby’s known Taylor since his days as a starter at Noxubee County High School, becoming instantly impressed with his build and athleticism while seeing Taylor playing basketball in the NCHS gym.
Lebby said his short-term goal for Taylor is that he starts all 13 games this season. The quarterback suffered a lower leg injury in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, and Lebby said he hopes Taylor learns to get out of bounds and avoid any unnecessary hits.
As for long-term goals, the third-year coach wouldn’t put a ceiling on his young signal-caller’s future.
“He’s a special young man. He’s a special talent, but he’s a special young man,” Lebby said. “ I’m incredibly excited. I’m proud of who he is and how he’s led for being a young guy. Man, he doesn’t act young… He’s got a big-time future, and (I’m) really excited about what he’s going to be able to do for us.
Wide receiver Anthony Evans III said Taylor’s praise is “deserved.”
“He’s the guy who puts in the work. You know, he’s a guy who stays true to himself. He’s humble,” Evans III said. “That’s somebody who deserves some kind of recognition like that.”
Taylor is expected to elevate an offense that finished in the middle of the pack in the SEC last season. MSU finished eighth in the SEC in scoring last year, averaging 30 points per game. He returns to an offense that also brings back its leading rusher, Fluff Bothwell, and its second-leading receiver, Anthony Evans III from last year.
“I think the next thing that I’m again most excited about that I’ve already talked about a little bit is just the retention,” Lebby said.
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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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 31 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
