Puckett or Swann? Mississippi State's Quarterback Competition Is Open as the Texas Trip Arrives

Texas now knows Mississippi State will arrive in Austin on Saturday without Kamario Taylor. What the Longhorns do not yet know is which Bulldog quarterback they will face. With Taylor's season over — he will have season-ending surgery on his injured foot and is expected to make a complete recovery, 247Sports reported on Tuesday — the starting job is a competition between freshman Billy Puckett and transfer AJ Swann.

Puckett is the known quantity. He started on the road at LSU and worked in relief of Taylor against both Alabama and Oklahoma, including most of Saturday's 23-15 loss to the Sooners. Head coach Jeff Lebby said after the Oklahoma game, and again on Monday, that Puckett and Swann were competing head-to-head for the job should Taylor not be able to go — and Taylor now cannot go.

Swann is the mystery. The transfer arrived as Taylor's expected backup but lost the spring and fall camp to a lower-leg injury and its recurrence, which cost him the practice reps to win the role outright. Lebby's update on Monday was pointed: "He's the healthiest he's been without a doubt right now. He was banged up in the spring, he was banged up in fall camp and really limited him from a rep standpoint. He's in a good spot right now," 247Sports reported.

Swann's resume is longer than Puckett's. He started at Vanderbilt as a true freshman in 2022, throwing for 1,274 yards and ten touchdowns, started again in 2023, spent 2024 as LSU's backup, and won the starting job at Appalachian State in 2025 before MCL and lower-leg injuries cut into that season as well. Mississippi State is 4-3 overall and 2-3 in the SEC; No. 11 Texas is 5-2 and 2-2. Kickoff Saturday at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium is 6:30 p.m. on ESPN, in a sellout, with Texas an 18.5-point favorite in the report's line.