Kamario Taylor is chasing Dak Prescott's legacy. Dallas Cowboys star is watching

Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor is taking the college football world by storm and has a chance to do something no Bulldogs signal caller has done since 2014, when program legend Dak Prescott was under center.

>Taylor, a first-year starter, is rising into Heisman Trophy consideration with 832 passing yards with 11 touchdown passes to one interception through three games this season. The 6-4, 230-pound quarterback also has 178 rushing yards and another score.

class="related-link"> Nick Saban gushes over Kamario Taylor: Mississippi State QB 'the truth and the light.'

>Taylor and the Bulldogs are 3-0, with a chance at starting SEC play with a 2-0 record for the first time since Prescott and Dan Mullen were also the story of college football.

>There are lots of similarities between Mississippi State in 2014 and now, although Taylor and the Bulldogs have to keep winning to reach that level. With a quarterback like Taylor leading the charge, they'll likely always have a chance, though.

Why Dak Prescott is bought in on Kamario Taylor, Mississippi StatePrescott is arguably Mississippi State's greatest quarterback ever. He led the Bulldogs to three consecutive wins against top-10 ranked teams in 2014, as they defeated No. 8 LSU, No. 6 Texas A&M and No. 2 Auburn to give the school their first No. 1 ranking.

>Mississippi State started 2014 with a 9-0 record, but late-season losses to Alabama and Ole Miss kept the Bulldogs out of a potential College Football Playoff berth before losing to Georgia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

>Taylor is hoping to be Mississippi State's next Prescott in terms of elevating the program to new heights. The two quarterbacks have already talked a few times, too.

>"We've shared some messages," Prescott told reporters Sept. 18. "I definitely have watched him play. I've talked to numbers of people that obviously know him that work hand-in-hand with him that only have amazing things to say. It makes me more of a fan of him. I just know from our short conversations through text and just hearing his interviews that I love the mentality.

>"I love the belief in himself and what he's allowed Mississippi State to feel again. The excitement, I'm as excited about that program as I've ever been since I was playing."

>Prescott, the longest-tenured starting quarterback with one team in the NFL, broke the Dallas Cowboys' all-time passing touchdown record in Week 2. He now is the franchise's all-time leader passer in yards and touchdowns, and is closing in on Troy Aikman's record for wins (94) by 10.

Kamario Taylor NIL: KC Chiefs Chris Jones says he'll donate to keep QB at Mississippi StateAll-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones, who played at Mississippi State from 2013-15, says he's willing to open the checkbook to keep Kamario Taylor in Starkville amidst growing transfer speculation (speculation generated elsewhere, not from Taylor or his camp).

>"I'm going to donate some (toward NIL). We've got to keep this quarterback, we've got to keep him around," Jones said. "With all these NIL teams spending $45-50 million a year, the salary cap doesn't exist in college, so definitely trying to keep our quarterback with us."

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The extended riff from Chiefs DT Chris Jones on college NIL that is 💯 hilarious and 💯 true.

It started with Jones saying he was going to donate to Mississippi State to keep QB Kamario Taylor and ended with Jones advocating for a college salary cap. pic.twitter.com/jnv3THgvf7

— Matt Derrick (@mattderrick) September 24, 2026Kamario Taylor transfer: What QB has said about his future“Never really thought about it,” Taylor said this summer. “I mean, all I see is Mississippi State. My dream has been to play quarterback here. Why would I walk away from that?”

Kamario Taylor stats2026 (sophomore): 56-of-82 passing (68.3%) for 832 yards with 11 touchdowns to an interception; 27 carries for 178 yards with a touchdown • >2025 (freshman): 43-of-77 passing (55.8%) for 629 yards with five touchdowns to an interception; 82 carries for 458 yards with eight touchdownsThis article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamario Taylor is chasing Dak Prescott's legacy. Dallas Cowboys star is watching