Standing in front of a loud Bulldogs crowd before the Alabama game at the SEC Nation, Paul Finebaum looked back to the last time Mississippi State had entered a major October game with a QB capable of changing the national conversation. Dak Prescott was that player in 2014. Now Finebaum believes Kamario Taylor might be even better.
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“They have a quarterback now that may be better than Dak Prescott,” Paul Finebaum said as the crowd thundered with loud cheers. “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. We came here ten years ago, and they had Dak Prescott. They were undefeated.”
That is a huge comparison, but Taylor has done enough through four games to make the conversation more than a throwaway line. The sophomore entered the Alabama game with 1,192 passing yards, 14 touchdown passes, and just two interceptions.
He had completed 69.2% of his throws while adding 185 rushing yards. His 14 touchdown passes were tied for the national lead entering Week 5. The numbers are impressive.
But the way Taylor is producing them is more interesting. He is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds, with enough arm strength to attack defenses vertically and enough mobility to turn a broken pocket into a positive play. At the Manning Passing Academy during the summer, an NFL scout told CBS Sports that Taylor was the most physically gifted passer at the event.
The deep ball has become one of his calling cards. Through four games, Taylor has 20 completions of at least 20 yards, with nine of his touchdown passes traveling at least 20 yards.
The Prescott comparison becomes more interesting when Taylor has to throw from the pocket. He is not just relying on his legs when a play breaks down.
Against Minnesota, Taylor stood in the pocket with pressure around him and hit a 37-yard pass on the second play of the game. He ended the afternoon with 227 passing yards, three touchdowns and 86 rushing yards.
Against Missouri, the Bulldogs needed him again. Mississippi State fell behind 24-17 before Taylor helped bring the game back. The performance also included a 24-yard scoring pass to Sanfrisco Magee with 3:57 remaining that broke a 24-24 tie.
That is where the Prescott comparison gets its legs. Prescott’s 2014 season remains the standard in Starkville. He finished with 3,449 passing yards and 27 touchdowns, then added 986 yards and 14 more scores on the ground.
Mississippi State opened that season 9-0 and climbed to No. 1 for the first time in program history. Taylor is nowhere near that level yet, and the comparison to Prescott still has plenty of room to grow.
There is also more time on Taylor’s side. Unlike Prescott at this stage, he has another full season to play after 2026. He is a likely 2028 draft prospect, giving NFL scouts plenty of time to track his progress and see if his passing from the pocket continues to improve.
His size, athleticism, and arm talent are already part of the appeal. If the passing catches up, NFL teams will have another reason to keep watching him. For now, his next step is showing that he can consistently read SEC defenses, handle pressure, and make the right decision when his first option disappears.
Mississippi State is helping him with plenty around him. The Bulldogs entered the Alabama game averaging 43 points per game, a dramatic jump from 25.8 in Lebby’s first season. The defense has improved, too.
Mississippi State held Minnesota without an offensive touchdown and entered the Alabama game 4-0, including SEC wins over South Carolina and No. 19 Missouri. That’s why Finebaum’s playoff comment has some substance behind it.