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2026 athlete Jaiden Taylor talks Mississippi State decision

Paul Jones Mississippi State Bulldogsby:Paul Jones•12/04/24•

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2026 WR Jaiden Taylor

Wednesday was a special day for 2026 athlete prospect Jaiden Taylor and his family, and for good reason. Not only did Taylor’s older brother – Kamario Taylor – officially sign with Mississippi State’s Class of 2025, but the younger Taylor committed to the Bulldogs’ Class of 2026.

Taylor was offered by Mississippi State just a couple of weeks ago. So on Wednesday he opted to make it a family affair and joined the Bulldogs’ Class of 2026. Taylor becomes the fifth commitment in State’s 2026 class, joining running backs Jaeden Hill and Damarius Yates, receiver Camden Capehart and defensive back Iverson McCoy.

“I thought about taking my time at first,” Taylor remarked. “I’m just focused on the playoffs and our goal of winning a state championship. But you put two and two together, my brother is committed there. It was an easy decision.”

Taylor recalled the moment State offered him in late November.

“I cried like a baby when they offered me,” Taylor noted of the State offer. “I didn’t see it coming, either. People kept telling me that State was gonna come get me but I wasn’t focused on it and I’m focused on a championship. But thank God they offered me and they’ve been showing me love since camp and wishing me good luck before every game.”

And it also made his older brother just as happy.

“Kamario was happy, too, and he ran down the road when he heard,” mentioned Taylor. “I’m also getting interest from UCF and they’ve done that for awhile. Tulane has been in contact, too, and so has Vanderbilt. But that’s been about it so far.”

This season Taylor has stood out on both sides of the football and has been quite productive. Offensively, Taylor has collected 50 catches for 892 yards with 16 touchdowns. Then on defense, he has totaled 43 tackles with four PBUs, one forced fumble and four interceptions, including two picks returned for touchdowns.

“I feel like I’m a better safety than anything,” added Taylor. “I say that because I’m a ballhawk and I can come down and tackle. I can play on both sides of the ball easily. But I do like defense better and I like attacking the ball.”

Taylor and his Noxubee County teammates will play for the Class 3A state championship later this week against Choctaw County. He has surpassed his own expectations for himself this season but has one major goal left on the table.

“It’s been fun and I really didn’t know what my role would be on the team this season,” Taylor explained. “But I exceeded expectations and now we’re trying to get a state championship.”

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