After Week 4, ESPN’s Bill Connelly had plenty of SEC names to sort through, and four players from the league cracked his latest “Heisman of the Week” top 10.
Texas defensive end Colin Simmons led the way, tying Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith for No. 1 after a huge night against Tennessee. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell checked in at No.
3, Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor landed at No. 6 and Florida running back Jaden Baugh came in at No. 8.
Simmons earned the top share of the spotlight thanks to a five-sack performance against the Volunteers. Connelly didn’t hold back in describing what he saw.
“Simmons was transcendent against Tennessee on Saturday in Knoxville. He went full Chase Young.
Full Julius Peppers. In honor of his surroundings, maybe full Reggie White,” Connelly wrote.
“Simmons recorded at least one sack in each quarter, and two within a minute of each other in the third. He was personally responsible for sending Vols QB Faizon Brandon backward 52 yards.”
Taylor’s name has become a weekly fixture on Connelly’s list, and that continued again this week. The Mississippi State quarterback is making his fourth appearance after another uneven but productive outing.
“Taylor makes his fourth appearance on this list… he’s doing it despite lulls. He started poorly against South Carolina in Week 3 before igniting.
Against Missouri on Saturday, he was 13-for-21 for 130 yards with a pick and two sacks in the second and third quarters,” Connelly said. “How do you make this list despite that?
By going 14-for-17 for 230 yards and three TDs - and helping your team outscore your opponent 28-0 - in the other two quarters.”
Russell and Alabama are set to face Taylor and Mississippi State this weekend in Starkville, with kickoff scheduled for 12:00 p.m. E.T. on ABC. A big performance and a win on Saturday could push Taylor to the top of the Heisman odds on Kalshi.
In Other News...
Mississippi State Just Got Another GameDay Reminder Fans Will Hate
Mississippi State fans who were hoping for another early-season College GameDay stop in SEC country got a fresh reminder this week that the shows 2026 travel plans are already tilting elsewhere. ESPN announced that Week 5 will be in Iowa City, with host Rece Davis pointing to Iowas win over Michigan as part of what pushed the production toward the Hawkeyes, setting up a top-15 showdown with Ohio State.
The choice matters because the first four GameDay shows of the season were all held at SEC campuses, a run that fit the leagues usual pull on the pregame spotlight. Now the road show is heading to Big Ten territory, and for Mississippi State fans watching from the outside, its another example of how quickly the national stage can move on when a different conference starts producing the bigger scene. [Read more 🡒]
Keelon Russell Is The Alabama Problem Mississippi State Can't Ignore
Jeff Lebby knows exactly what makes Alabama difficult to defend right now, and it starts with a sophomore quarterback who has settled in quickly as a first-year SEC starter. Mississippi States defensive staff is spending its preparation time on the kinds of problems Alabama has been creating all season, from a passing game that has been efficient to a rushing attack that has kept opponents from simply sitting on the throw.
For the Bulldogs, the challenge is less about one isolated matchup than about surviving the whole structure of Alabamas offense. Lebby pointed to the need to get pressure on Keelon Russell and tackle more cleanly if Mississippi State wants any chance of slowing down a group of receivers that can stretch a defense in a hurry. It is the kind of week where the margin for error is thin, and the Bulldogs know the Crimson Tide will punish anything sloppy. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Finally Gets Its Chance To Prove This Start Is Real
Mississippi State has spent the early stretch of the season turning heads, and the latest sign of real progress came with a result the program had not managed in 12 years: a ranked-vs.-ranked win over No. 19 Missouri. That victory pushed the Bulldogs up to No. 16 and gave the season a little more credibility around Starkville, where the challenge now is no longer proving they can win the big one but showing they can keep doing it.
Next up is a far more revealing test, as Mississippi State heads into a Southeastern Conference matchup with No. 7 Alabama in a meeting of undefeated teams. The spotlight will be on the quarterbacks, with Keelon Russell driving the Crimson Tide and Kamario Taylor helping lead the Bulldogs, and the game should tell plenty about how far Mississippi State has really come. [Read more 🡒]