STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Kamario Taylor first chose Mississippi State when he was still an under-the-radar recruit halfway through his junior season at nearby Noxubee County High School in 2023. He chose Mississippi State again, months later, when the head coach he committed to, Zach Arnett, was fired after a 5-7 season. He didn't know how the new staff would view him, but his uncle told him to sit tight and see how it played out. But he was always looking for a reason to stay, and that reason showed up when Jeff Lebby visited Taylor's high school the same week he took the head job.

Even though the Bulldogs went 2-10 that next season, Taylor showed up for every home game. Even as his stock soared from a top-50 to top-10 quarterback prospect and he picked up serious offers from the likes of Georgia and Texas A&M, he never wavered. He chose Mississippi State once more after his freshman year of college this past January. It wasn't easy, sitting behind the starter, sixth-year senior Blake Shapen, for much of the season. Other schools were coming on strong through back channels as the transfer portal was getting ready to open in early January, and offers to sign were approaching $4 million, sources said. He ignored them.

He keeps choosing Mississippi State, over and over again. He writes "283 BABY" on his eye black, a nod to his hometown Baptist Hill Community. He looks into the camera and tells in-state recruits to stay home and help him build a contender. But as his star continues to rise, throwing an FBS-best 14 touchdowns while leading the Bulldogs to a 4-0 start, the college football world doesn't seem to believe him. They're envisioning him chasing a payday that could reach $7 million or more. But, what people get wrong, Taylor told ESPN, is, "They don't know me."