Jeff Lebby didn’t hesitate when he was asked to put a name on Kamario Taylor’s ceiling.
At SEC Media Days in Tampa on Thursday, the Mississippi State coach pointed to one of the most electric college quarterbacks of the last two decades: Robert Griffin III. Lebby said the comparison comes from what he’s seen in practice, where Taylor’s athleticism and arm talent have stood out.
“I think the closest comparison, honestly, is RGIII. The athleticism, the ability to throw the football down the field, the arm talent,” Jeff Lebby said. “I think that’s the closest comparison I’ve seen from my eyes in practice every day.”
That’s a strong label for a quarterback who is still early in his Mississippi State run, but Taylor has already given the Bulldogs a glimpse of why Lebby is so high on him. The Mississippi native played in his first season in Starkville last year and put together a little bit of everything: 629 passing yards, five touchdown throws and one interception, plus 458 rushing yards and eight scores on the ground.
The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Taylor gives Mississippi State a different kind of threat, and Lebby has seen enough to believe there’s a lot more in the tank. He also told reporters in Tampa about the first time he met Taylor, underscoring how quickly the quarterback has impressed him since arriving in the program.
Lebby is trying to drag Mississippi State out of the SEC doldrums after a 5-8 season last fall, including a 1-7 record in league play. The Bulldogs will be leaning on Taylor as they try to climb back into the conversation this fall.
And if Taylor’s development tracks anywhere near Griffin’s Baylor rise, Mississippi State could be looking at something far more dangerous than just a bounce-back year. Griffin won the Heisman Trophy in 2011 and later reached the NFL, where his career flashed big-time potential before injuries cut it short.
For Lebby and the Bulldogs, the hope is simple: Taylor keeps growing, the offense keeps opening up, and Mississippi State starts moving in a much better direction in 2026.
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