Former Alabama head coach Nick Saban singled out Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor while discussing the development of young quarterbacks this season.
"Mississippi State gets behind 16-0 last week at South Carolina, and this Kamario Taylor guy is like, 'You know, shit happens,' and just keeps playing," Saban said Friday on "The Pat McAfee Show."
"They take the game over on the road in a difficult place to play. And this guy is a young quarterback; I know he's not a freshman, but he is an outstanding player. So that shows me this guy has the right stuff to play this position."
Taylor's play through three weeks has been one of the biggest stories of the 2026 season. In last Saturday's game against the Gamecocks, Taylor marched the Bulldogs back from a 16-0 first-half deficit to top their SEC foe 41-34.
The 19-year-old has led Mississippi State to a 3-0 start for the first time since 2017, completing over 68% of his passes for 832 yards and 11 touchdowns with just one interception.
Taylor has also added 178 yards and a score on the ground, and his 12 offensive touchdowns rank second in the country, behind only USC's Jayden Maiava. Among 121 qualifying FBS quarterbacks, Taylor ranks fifth in passer efficiency and 14th in EPA/dropback, according to TruMedia.
"Because you're going to get criticized more at this position, you're going to get more credit at this position," Saban added when talking about Taylor. "You've got to deal with ups and downs more at this position. Young guys sometimes can do that; sometimes they struggle with that."
Taylor and the Bulldogs will look to improve to 4-0 on Saturday, when they host Missouri.
