Mississippi State reportedly makes QB decision for Texas game
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Mississippi State Bulldogs are set to take on the No. 11 Texas Longhorns under the lights in Austin on Saturday night, and the biggest question surrounding the Bulldogs heading into the matchup is who the starting quarterback will be.
Star sophomore Kamario Taylor, who had missed the past two games while dealing with turf toe, was officially ruled out for the remainder of the season earlier this week, creating a massive hole under center for head coach Jeff Lebby and his staff.
It appears Lebby has made his decision on who will lead the Bulldogs against an elite Texas defense, though, with CBS Sports insider Matt Zenitz reporting on Saturday morning that senior backup AJ Swann has been handed the reins.
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The well-traveled senior began his career at Vanderbilt in 2022 and was solid across the 12 starts he made for the Commodores during his two seasons with the program. He transferred to LSU in 2024, where he served as the backup to Garrett Nussmeier, before putting together another respectable campaign at Appalachian State in 2025.
Swann will now take over for freshman Parker “Billy” Puckett, who previously stepped in for Taylor. The talented youngster won the backup job over Swann during fall camp but struggled against both LSU and Oklahoma, ultimately leading to the change under center.
It will be interesting to see how Swann handles what is arguably the best defensive front in all of college football in front of what is expected to be a capacity SEC crowd on the road in primetime.
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