Mississippi State heads into Saturday’s trip to Texas with one of the biggest questions in football hanging over the offense: who takes the first snap at quarterback?
The Bulldogs’ latest depth chart does not clear things up. Instead, it leaves Billy Puckett or A.J.
Swann listed as the starter, with head coach Jeff Lebby saying he won’t reveal his choice until Saturday. That uncertainty arrives at a rough time for a team already trying to snap a three-game skid.
The shift at quarterback is driven by the loss of Kamario Taylor, who is out for the rest of the season. His absence forced Mississippi State to reshuffle its plans and rework the offense on the fly. Now the Bulldogs have to decide which direction gives them the best shot to hang with Texas in Austin.
Puckett has already gotten chances this season, including a tough performance against LSU. Swann brings more experience and gives Mississippi State another path if Lebby wants to lean on steadiness at a position that suddenly needs it. Either way, the Bulldogs are working without the blend of upside and production Taylor had provided before the injury.
That makes Saturday a much trickier assignment. Mississippi State is trying to halt a losing streak, and the quarterback uncertainty only adds to the pressure of facing a talented Texas team on the road. Texas, for its part, is being forced to prepare for two possible starters instead of one settled answer.
The rest of the depth chart offers some clues about how Mississippi State plans to support whoever wins the job. Up front, the offensive line is set with Miles McVay at left tackle, DJ Chester at left guard, Cannon Boone at center, LJ Pruitt at right guard and Jakeheem Shumpert-Perkins at right tackle. That group will be under the microscope from the opening whistle, because pass protection could be decisive against a Texas defense capable of getting after the quarterback.
The Bulldogs will also need help from Fluff Bothwell and Kolin Wilson in the backfield. A productive run game would take some heat off the passing attack and help Mississippi State keep the game from spiraling into a track meet.
Defensively, Mississippi State has to do its part as well. The Bulldogs can’t afford to let Texas turn the quarterback situation into a quick advantage or give the Longhorns extra chances by failing to get stops.
The recent history between these teams doesn’t give Mississippi State much comfort. The Bulldogs have lost both meetings since Texas joined the SEC.
Last year’s game in Starkville still stings. Mississippi State had built a three-touchdown lead in the third quarter before Texas stormed back and won in overtime.
Now the Bulldogs head to Austin trying to recover from three straight losses and play through a major change at quarterback. It’s a chance to reset, but it’ll take more than simply naming a new starter to change the story.
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Mississippi State Suddenly Faces A Brutal Kamario Taylor Problem
Mississippi States season has taken a sharp turn in a matter of weeks, and Kamario Taylor sits at the center of it. Across college football, injuries to starting quarterbacks have already altered the path for playoff hopefuls, with Oregon and Ohio State among the teams forced to adjust on the fly. For the Bulldogs, Taylors situation has been especially disruptive because his absence changes not just the depth chart, but the ceiling for what this team can still chase in the stretch run.
The bigger issue is how quickly the situation spiraled. Taylor has been dealing with a toe injury that has hung over multiple games and left Mississippi State trying to manage a quarterback room under constant pressure. Even before the rest of the sports injury chaos reshaped the playoff race, the Bulldogs were already facing the kind of uncertainty that can derail momentum, force schematic changes and make every series feel more fragile than the last. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Faces A Huge Question Before Texas Showdown
Mississippi State heads into its trip to Texas with a major quarterback question hanging over the matchup, and the timing could hardly be worse for Jeff Lebbys offense. Kamario Taylors availability is up in the air as the Bulldogs get ready for a game against a Texas team coming off a stretch of uneven play and penalties, with Steve Sarkisian also noting his groups need to clean things up as the Longhorns prepare for their final home game before a tough road run.
The uncertainty at quarterback leaves Mississippi State in evaluation mode late in the week, and the decision matters because the Bulldogs will need steadiness against a Texas defense that will have plenty of incentive to set the tone early in Austin. If Taylor cannot go, Lebby has options to sort through, but the bigger issue is how much the offense can adjust on short notice in a game that already carries plenty of stakes for both sides. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Is Already Zeroing In On Young Arkansas Playmakers
Mississippi State is wasting little time getting involved with the next wave of talent across the border, and a few of the early names to know are already coming out of Arkansas. The Bulldogs have put offers on the table for 2028 prospects Chase Hancock, Braylyn Brown and Orion Leautu, giving the staff a head start with a group that brings different skill sets but plenty of upside.
Hancock is the kind of athlete teams like to track early because of his speed and versatility, while Leautu brings the type of size and blocking ability that can matter in the trenches and in the passing game. Brown adds another layer as a multi-use player for his high school team, contributing on both offense and defense, which makes him the sort of prospect Mississippi State will want to keep seeing as his recruitment develops. [Read more 🡒]