SEC Football will kick off this weekend as the conference didn't have a single team in action during Week 0. The conference has a clear group of contenders to win the league, along with teams like LSU and Alabama, who underwent some big changes, but could quickly prove they belong among the group. After the group of teams that everyone's focused on, there's a ton of interesting teams who don't get enough attention.
With all the drama surrounding Ole Miss and their coaching change, it feels as if no one has talked about Mississippi State this offseason. Jeff Lebby has gone 7-18 over his first two seasons leading the Bulldogs, but showed great signs of improvement in year 2. The big reason to be excited for the upcoming season is starting quarterback Kamario Taylor.
Kamario Taylor has the ability to flip the SEC
Jeff Lebby was able to look down the road during the 2025 recruiting class and land his potential quarterback of the future in Macon, Mississippi, native Kamario Taylor. From the moment Taylor arrived on campus, he was being billed as a star capable of bringing the Bulldogs back to prominence.
During his freshman season, Kamario Taylor would make brief cameos for the Bulldogs before starting the final two games of the season. In Taylor's two starts, he struggled as a passer but rushed for 173 yards and a pair of touchdowns in The Egg Bowl and 63 yards and a touchdown against Wake Forest.
If Kamario Taylor can take a jump as a passer in Jeff Lebby's offense, the Bulldogs are going to have the potential to upset any team they play. Bulldogs' fans looking for a reason to be optimistic about Taylor taking that leap as a passer can turn to Archie Manning as the Ole Miss QB put the rivalry aside, raving about Taylor's performance at The Manning Passing Academy.
"He was as impressive as anybody we had this summer. He was just a flat-out, good-looking kid, built well, athletic as hell, and could throw it all over the field. You don’t see many kids that big that can move the way he can and throw it the way he can."Archie Manning
The season opener against UL Monroe will be a great show of where Kamario Taylor is in his development as well as the team's. After the UL Monroe game, Mississippi State won't play another Non-Power 4 team until late November, making this the lone dress rehearsal.
Jeff Lebby has been one of the best offensive minds in the sport, and he's going to need to adapt to his personnel. Blake Shapen was far more of a traditional pocket passer compared to Kamario Taylor, and the team is going to need to shift into an offense that fits Taylor's ability. If the offense can find that perfect marriage, the Bulldogs may not compete for the SEC, but they'll be a scary team to face every week.
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