The Egg Bowl is one of college football’s most heated rivalries and features two fanbases with no love lost between one another. But while Ole Miss and Mississippi State fans talk trash at workplace water coolers, in text group chats, or on social media, the faces of both programs have formed a bond that transcends the on-field feud.
During his time with reporters at SEC Media Days, Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor revealed that he and Ole Miss signal caller Trinidad Chambliss formed quite the friendship this summer.
Both field generals participated in the Manning Passing Academy in June, and beyond that, they roomed together. Taylor, approaching his sophomore season, took advantage of the opportunity to learn from a decorated veteran — and Chambliss was more than happy to teach.
“Trinidad is one of a kind. He’s an executor. He’s a playmaker and he’s a competitor,” Taylor said. “He was breaking down to me his journey and his experience in the SEC and being at a D2 school, just trying to show me the ropes.”
Chambliss’ and Taylor’s paths to the SEC were much different. The Ole Miss quarterback spent three years at Division II Ferris State, leading the Bulldogs to a national title victory in 2024, before heading to Oxford. Taylor, a Noxubee County native, went straight from the high school ranks to the school he grew up cheering for, Mississippi State.
The two also differ in size. Chambliss is listed as 6-foot flat, weighing 200 pounds, while Taylor is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds.
One notable similarity, however, is that both quarterbacks arrived at their respective SEC programs not expected to be the everyday starter.
Chambliss arrived at Ole Miss as a backup to former starter and now-Missouri quarterback Austin Simmons, with expectations of being a dual-threat option in short yardage situations and in the red zone. Taylor arrived in Starkville as a promising freshman who would back up veteran Blake Shapen and, like Chambliss, be used as a weapon in the ground game.
Things changed for the two during the 2025-26 campaign. For Chambliss, the D2 transfer was quickly thrust onto the main stage after Simmons suffered a week two injury at Kentucky. A star in the making, he thrived and became one of the hottest commodities in college football. Taylor had his name called ahead of the Egg Bowl, a game in which he’d dreamt of competing in.
Ole Miss and Chambliss earned the victory in the rivalry, though Taylor had a nice highlight reel. The Rebels went on to reach the College Football Playoff semifinals, where they fell to Miami in the Fiesta Bowl. Mississippi State and Taylor earned a bid to the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, where the Bulldogs fell to Wake Forest. Taylor also suffered an injury in the matchup, one that looked brutal when it occurred, but ultimately did minimal damage.
Chambliss finished the season with 4,500 all-purpose yards and 30 total touchdowns with just three turnovers. Taylor logged 629 passing yards, 458 rushing yards, 13 total touchdowns, and just one interception.
In the offseason, Chambliss announced his return to Ole Miss under the guidance of defensive coordinator turned head coach Pete Golding, following the post-Egg Bowl departure of former frontman Lane Kiffin, and won an eligibility battle against the NCAA. Taylor, likewise, made it known that he would be continuing his collegiate journey at Mississippi State under head coach Jeff Lebby’s leadership.
After spring practices wrapped up, the two capitalized on an opportunity to showcase their skillsets at the Manning Passing Academy in Louisiana among some of the top-rated college quarterbacks, while also mentoring future generations. Both stood out, with spectators raving about their unique arm talents.
Working to refine the mental side of his game, Taylor looked to Chambliss to outline how he breaks down film, reads defenses, and makes plays most players at their position would fail to make. Pointing to a series of signature plays Chambliss made in the Rebels’ thrilling Sugar Bowl win over Georgia, Taylor asked what he did to notice blindside defenders and pick apart the opposing defense.
Chambliss, per Taylor, was more than eager to share his expertise. And Taylor absorbed all he was taught, recognizing that iron is sharpened by iron.
“I asked him how he reads defenses. Like versus Georgia, ‘How did you know that guy was coming?’ I asked him things like that,” Taylor recounted. “He told me the way he looks at film, the way he watches film, he’s able to diagnose things unlike anyone else.”
Trinidad Chambliss 30/46, 362 YDS, 2 TDs vs Georgia in College Football Playoff Quarterfinal Today.pic.twitter.com/EzDukb1KmX https://t.co/oiA0zCc1UE
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) January 2, 2026
But the bond the two formed in the offseason has not eliminated their competitive nature.
Chambliss, who aptly stated that he will hate Mississippi State for the rest of his life, after getting his first Egg Bowl under his belt, and having his jersey stolen in the process, will approach that game as a must-win. Taylor, looking to bring the golden egg back to Starkville for the first time since 2022, has the same agenda as his SEC colleague. But off the field, the two are friends who respect one another’s talent and work ethic.
The upcoming season is just over a month away. Chambliss approaches the fall as a Heisman hopeful and preseason first-team All-SEC selection. Taylor is widely considered a dark horse whose intangibles give him the potential to be one of the most dangerous weapons in college football.
Mississippi State kicks off the 2025-26 campaign versus Louisiana Monroe on Sept. 5. The game will take place in Davis Wade Stadium. Ole Miss begins the season against Louisville on Sept. 6. The matchup will unfold in Nashville’s Nissan Stadium.