Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor's status for LSU game uncertain with foot injury

Mississippi State may have to play in Death Valley without its quarterback. Sophomore Kamario Taylor is dealing with a foot injury, and his status for Saturday's game against No. 22 LSU is uncertain, CBS Sports reported. ESPN reported the injury first, and CBS Sports' John Talty confirmed it.

CBS Sports said Taylor was seen dealing with an injury on the sideline late in Mississippi State's 56-23 loss to Alabama. The Bulldogs had an open date after that game, but the problem has carried through the week off and now puts his availability for the trip to Baton Rouge in doubt.

The Bulldogs would be losing their most important player. Taylor is the main reason No. 16 Mississippi State is 4-1. He has completed 66.2% of his passes for 1,450 yards and leads the SEC with 17 touchdown passes. He has also run for 159 yards and a score. Before the Alabama game he had moved into the Heisman Trophy conversation. He still made big plays against the Crimson Tide, but his three turnovers hurt the Bulldogs in that loss.

If Taylor can't play, coach Jeff Lebby has a decision to make. Parker Puckett was the first quarterback off the bench after Taylor left the Alabama game. CBS Sports noted that Puckett was an unranked recruit in the 2025 signing class who appears to have won the backup job. The room also has more experienced options. AJ Swann, a senior who transferred from Appalachian State, has 24 career games behind him, far more than anyone else at the position. Jaden Rashada, a former top-50 recruit, is also on the roster and could give the offense some upside. Lebby gets a full week to prepare whichever quarterback starts if Taylor is out.

What it means for Saturday

The Bulldogs visit LSU on Saturday, Oct. 17, at noon Eastern on ESPN and Disney+. It is a meeting of ranked SEC teams. Mississippi State is trying to rebound from its first loss of the season, and LSU, at 4-2, is trying to avoid a third loss before the second half of the season.

The market has the Tigers as a clear choice even though Mississippi State is ranked higher. LSU is favored at -471 on Novig, one of the venues pricing the game, and the best sportsbook price on the Tigers is -535 at DraftKings. The spread has LSU favored by 14.5 points, and the total is 59.5. Current numbers for the matchup are on the Mississippi State at LSU odds page.

The Bulldogs have not announced a decision on Taylor. His status will likely be the biggest question in the matchup all week. If he can play, Mississippi State has the conference's most productive passer this season. If he can't, the Bulldogs will start an unproven quarterback in one of the toughest road settings in the league.