Nick Saban Predicts ‘Big-Time Surprise’ From Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor

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Nick Saban has been one of Kamario Taylor’s loudest believers for months, and the former Alabama head coach is only becoming more convinced after seeing Mississippi State’s young quarterback open the 2026 season.

Taylor exploded for 354 passing yards and four touchdowns while adding 59 rushing yards and another score in a 62-13 victory over ULM. Now, with Taylor preparing for his first road test of the season at Minnesota, Saban is predicting that the rest of the SEC could soon learn exactly why he has been so high on him.

During an appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show”, Saban delivered another emphatic endorsement of Taylor. McAfee immediately pressed Saban on why he has continued to hype the Mississippi State quarterback, allowing Saban to explain exactly what has caught his attention.

“Kamario Taylor, he’s the real deal now,” Saban said. “He’s the truth and the light, and I want to see how that guy does on Saturday.”

Saban’s praise did not stop there.

“Just watching the guy play a little bit last year and a lot this year,” Saban said. “And talking with Jeff Lebby. I mean, this guy is a very good passer, but athletic and can run and can create plays on his own. I think this guy’s going to be a big-time surprise for a lot of people in the SEC.”

Saban has praised Taylor before, including calling him a player who “could be the truth and the light” during SEC Media Days. Taylor himself later called the recognition from Saban “surreal,” pointing toward the quarterbacks the legendary coach developed during his career. The difference now is that Taylor has begun providing real evidence to support the prediction.

Kamario Taylor Gives Nick Saban Plenty of Evidence

Taylor’s opener was about as convincing as Mississippi State could have hoped. He completed 22 of 34 passes without an interception, and the Bulldogs finished with a school-record 762 yards of total offense. Mississippi State scored 62 points, while Taylor showed the exact combination Saban highlighted: the ability to punish a defense from the pocket and create additional problems with his legs.

There is still reason to keep the hype under control. ULM was an overmatched opponent, and one dominant performance does not suddenly establish Taylor as one of the SEC’s elite quarterbacks. Saban’s prediction becomes considerably more interesting because Taylor gets a much different challenge Saturday, when Mississippi State leaves Starkville and faces Minnesota at Huntington Bank Stadium.

Minnesota Gives Taylor a More Revealing Test

Mississippi State and Minnesota meet Saturday at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS in the first matchup between the programs. It will also mark the first time Minnesota has hosted a current SEC program since Vanderbilt visited Minneapolis in 1959. Both teams enter at 1-0, giving Taylor a Power Four road environment immediately after his explosive opener.

That is where Saban’s prediction begins getting tested. Another huge performance would make it considerably harder to dismiss Taylor’s opener as the product of an inferior opponent, while struggles would simply reinforce how much development still remains for a young quarterback.

Saban clearly believes the ceiling is much higher than one big Saturday against ULM. If Taylor handles Minnesota and carries that play into the SEC schedule, Saban’s “big-time surprise” prediction may not remain surprising for very long.

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