# Kamario Taylor
**Kamario Taylor** (full name Kamario Antonio LaQuan Taylor, born February 2) is an American college football quarterback for the Mississippi State Bulldogs of the [Southeastern Conference](https://www.edgepedia.org/southeastern-conference) (SEC). A 6-foot-4, 230-pound dual-threat quarterback from Macon, Mississippi, he was the highest rated quarterback recruit in Mississippi State program history and became one of the breakout players of the 2026 college football season.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) • [2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html) • [3](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Position, size | Quarterback, No. 1; 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), 230 lb (104 kg)[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html) |
| Hometown, school | Macon, Mississippi; Noxubee County High School, class of 2025[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) • [4](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/evaluation/_/id/257149/kamario-taylor) |
| Commitment | Signed with Mississippi State on October 13, 2023, choosing the Bulldogs over Georgia, Texas A&M, Missouri, and others[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) |
| Recruiting rank | On3: No. 7 QB and No. 2 player in Mississippi; composite industry ranking: No. 9 QB in the 2025 class; ESPN 300: No. 295[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) |
| 2025 (freshman) | 11 games: 43 of 77 passing (55.8%), 629 yards, 5 TD, 1 INT; 82 carries, 458 yards, 8 rushing TD[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html) |
| 2026 (sophomore) | First 5 games: 102 of 154 passing (66.2%), 1,450 yards, 17 TD, 4 INT; 43 carries, 159 yards, 1 rushing TD[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html) |
| Career highs | 241 passing yards vs Wake Forest (Jan 2, 2026); 173 rushing yards and 20 rush attempts vs Ole Miss (Nov 28, 2025); 3 rushing TDs vs Georgia (Nov 8, 2025)[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) |
## Early life and high school career
Taylor played at Noxubee County High School in Macon, Mississippi, where he also played basketball and baseball and ran track.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) He helped guide the team to three consecutive [Mississippi](https://www.edgepedia.org/mississippi) 3A State Championship game appearances in 2022, 2023, and 2024, and he has credited a loss in the 2022 title game as one of the defining moments of his career.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) • [5](https://www.on3.com/rivals/kamario-taylor-175074/recruiting/)
During his senior season in 2024, Taylor guided Noxubee County to a record of 11-3 and second place in the 3A state championship, passing for more than 2,400 yards with 30 touchdowns and only four interceptions on 56% completion, and adding over 1,100 rushing yards and 15 scores on the ground. His career totals included more than 7,000 passing yards and 100 passing touchdowns with nearly 2,000 rushing yards.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) His honors that year included 2024 Mississippi 3A Mr. Football, a Clarion Ledger Dandy Dozen selection, an invitation to the Elite 11 Finals, where he was described as one of the most physically gifted players in attendance, and a spot in the Mississippi-Alabama All Star Game.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925)
## Recruiting
Taylor committed to Mississippi State on October 13, 2023, and signed with the program as a member of the 2025 class, choosing the Bulldogs over offers including Georgia, Texas A&M, and Missouri.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) • [4](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/evaluation/_/id/257149/kamario-taylor) On3 rated him the No. 7 quarterback and the No. 2 player in the state of Mississippi, composite industry rankings placed him as the No. 9 quarterback in the class, and ESPN ranked him No. 295 in the ESPN 300 with an 81 scout grade as a dual-threat quarterback.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) • [4](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/evaluation/_/id/257149/kamario-taylor) ScoutSZN listed him as a four-star recruit ranked No. 119 nationally and No. 11 among quarterbacks in his class.[6](https://scoutszn.com/player/5696) Mississippi State's athletics department describes him as the highest rated quarterback recruit in program history.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925)
Family ties run through the program: his uncle, Omarr Conner, played quarterback and receiver at Mississippi State from 2003 to 2006, and Taylor grew up less than an hour from Starkville.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925) • [3](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/)
## College career
**2025: freshman backup.** Taylor played 11 games in 2025 behind a fifth-year starter and took over the starting job for the final two. He finished the season with 629 passing yards on 77 attempts (55.8%) with five touchdowns and one interception, plus 82 carries for 458 yards and eight rushing touchdowns, a total of 1,087 yards of offense.[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html) • [6](https://scoutszn.com/player/5696) In his two starts he produced 351 total yards (178 passing, 173 rushing) in a 38-19 loss to Ole Miss and 304 yards (241 passing, 63 rushing) in a 43-29 loss to Wake Forest in the bowl game.[3](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/) He was named to the 2025 'Freaks List' by 247Sports at No. 50.[1](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925)
**2026: full-time starter.** Entering 2026 as the full-time starter, Taylor became one of the early breakout players of the season, helping Mississippi State open with 100 total points in a 2-0 start.[3](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/) Across his first five games he completed 102 of 154 passes (66.2%) for 1,450 yards and 17 touchdowns against four interceptions, with a passer rating of 176.6, while adding 159 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html) Highlights included 227 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions with 86 rushing yards against Minnesota, and 360 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 win over Missouri.[3](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/) • [2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html)
## Playing style and recognition
Taylor is a dual-threat quarterback whose early college production has leaned on both arms and legs: eight rushing touchdowns as a freshman were the largest part of his first-year output, while his 2026 passing efficiency improved sharply from his freshman completion rate of 55.8% to 66.2%.[2](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html) • [6](https://scoutszn.com/player/5696) At the summer 2026 Manning Passing Academy, attended by quarterbacks including Arch Manning, Julian Sayin, and [Trinidad Chambliss](https://www.edgepedia.org/trinidad-chambliss), one NFL scout in attendance told [CBS Sports](https://www.edgepedia.org/cbs-sports) that Taylor was "the most physically gifted passer down there."[3](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/)
Despite transfer-portal speculation, Taylor has publicly emphasized his commitment to spending his entire college career at Mississippi State.[3](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/) Media coverage during the 2026 season has raised his profile in early conversation about the 2028 NFL Draft.[7](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kamario-taylor-most-talented-quarterback-165106143.html)
## References
1. [Kamario Taylor - Football - Mississippi State (official roster bio)](https://hailstate.com/sports/football/roster/taylor-kamario/12925)
2. [Kamario Taylor College Stats, Sports-Reference](https://www.sports-reference.com/cfb/players/kamario-taylor-1.html)
3. [The evolution of Kamario Taylor, CBS Sports (Sep 18, 2026)](https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/kamario-taylor-mississippi-state-qb-evolution/)
4. [KaMario Taylor Recruiting Profile, ESPN](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/player/evaluation/_/id/257149/kamario-taylor)
5. [Kamario Taylor - Noxubee County - Recruiting, On3](https://www.on3.com/rivals/kamario-taylor-175074/recruiting/)
6. [Kamario Taylor Scouting Report & Draft Grade, ScoutSZN](https://scoutszn.com/player/5696)
7. [Kamario Taylor and the 2028 NFL Draft conversation, Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kamario-taylor-most-talented-quarterback-165106143.html)
---
*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Rugby and other football codes › American football players, coaches, and executives › Quarterbacks*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license