With Kelley Jones having announced his return to Starkville, Mississippi State football will go into the 2026 season with one of the very best cornerbacks in college football ready to lock down his half of the field. But who will start opposite of him in the secondary? The Bulldogs added a pair of options through the Transfer Portal on Tuesday.
Transfer cornerbacks Quentin Taylor Jr. from Iowa State and Kaylib Singleton from Syracuse are the latest additions to Mississippi State's 2026 portal class, and each will have a great chance to contribute if not start for the Bulldogs next fall.
Former Cyclone Quentin Taylor Jr. is rated as an 85-overall 3-star transfer according to 247 Sports. The 6-0, 205 defensive back hails from Minneola, FL. As a redshirt freshman in 2025, he made six starts for Iowa State. On the season, he totaled 27 tackles and led the Cyclones with five passes broken up. Injuries to the ISU secondary thrust him into action, and he performed well. Taylor Jr. made the decision to leave Ames following the departure of HC Matt Campbell to Penn State.
| COMMITTED |
— NPGPX Design (@NathanPurvis) January 7, 2026
Earlier today, Quentin Taylor Jr. (@QuentinT_3), the @247Sports 3⭐️defensive back from Iowa State University, committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. #HailState
Story: https://t.co/zmCIweilKQ pic.twitter.com/QwTykDMI65
Former Orangeman Kaylib Singleton does not yet have a transfer rating, but he was a well-sought after prospect in the 2025 high school class, being rated as high as a 4-star by some services. Singleton saw action in seven games as a true freshman this year for Syracuse. The 6-1, 188 corner from Orange Park, FL made 13 stops for the Orange, including five against Miami. With 'Cuse set to return their starting corners for 2026, he's making the move to Starkville.
Kaylib Singleton (@KaylibSingleto3), the transfer portal defensive back from Syracuse University, has committed to Mississippi State. #HailState https://t.co/8CCD6w0PoV pic.twitter.com/XNVPqbpr2K
— NPGPX Design (@NathanPurvis) January 6, 2026
Quentin Taylor Jr. and Kaylib Singleton are quality additions to the Mississippi State secondary
These are two good pick-ups for Mississippi State. Quentin Taylor Jr. brings power conference starting experience (that he performed well in) to the Bulldog secondary. Kaylib Singleton showed flashes at Syracuse down the stretch in 2025, suggesting he could be a key contributor moving forward.
Each should be a good option to start opposite of Kelley Jones at corner in 2026. And another reason to like these additions, their age. Each have three years of eligibility remaining, meaning they could prove to be more than one year rentals for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State had to find transfers to compliment Jones, and they've done just that.