Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor will not play again this season. The school announced that a toe injury will require surgery, ending his 2026 campaign.
Taylor emerged as one of the early-season standouts in college football, delivering huge performances in wins over Minnesota, South Carolina and Missouri that lifted the Bulldogs into the top 25. He suffered a turf toe injury in the Missouri game and tried to play through it against Alabama. He then sat out the loss to LSU.
After the Bulldogs were shut out by the Tigers, Taylor tried a return against Oklahoma last week. He left in the first half after pulling up on a fourth-down scramble and heading to the locker room.
In a statement, Taylor said he had worked daily with the medical staff to get back on the field. "Missing the rest of the season is hard to accept, but I know God has a plan," he said. He added that he loves the team and Mississippi State, and that "Starkville is home, and I can't wait to be back playing the game I love."
The offense has struggled without him. Mississippi State scored 15 points in the loss to Oklahoma, all of them in the second half after Taylor exited. At 4-3 with four SEC games left, a bowl berth is far from assured. Parker Puckett now takes over as the starter.
There is some help on the way. Running back Fluff Bothwell is expected back this week after missing the Oklahoma game with an injury. He leads the team with 91 carries for 514 yards and three rushing touchdowns, and is likely to be central to the game plan as the team tries to ease the load on Puckett.
The schedule opens with a road trip to No. 11 Texas. Three straight home games follow against Vanderbilt, Auburn and Tennessee Tech, which represent the Bulldogs' best chance to become bowl-eligible. The regular season closes with the Egg Bowl at Oxford on Black Friday.
Attention now turns to 2027, when Taylor, a Macon, Mississippi, native, enters his junior year with Heisman and NFL Draft buzz. Even after missing time, he leads the SEC with 17 touchdown passes. A full healthy season could make him a top prospect for the 2028 NFL Draft, though opposing defenses will prepare for him more heavily.
Quarterback-needy programs are expected to pursue him with big offers, but Taylor has said publicly that he wants to stay with the Bulldogs. Keeping Bothwell and improving the receiving corps and offensive line will be priorities for coach Jeff Lebby and the staff this offseason.
