Mississippi State starting quarterback Kamario Taylor has taken the college football world by storm in the early weeks. His Bulldogs are 4-0, with wins over Minnesota, South Carolina and Missouri the last three weeks.
MSU is facing its biggest test yet this weekend, hosting the No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide. Fans watching Taylor’s game on Saturday afternoon may notice something unique about the quarterback’s eyeblack that he has been wearing all season.
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What does it say on Kamario Taylor’s eyeblack?
Taylor wears eyeblack that has the words “283” on the right side and “Baby” on the left painted with silver Sharpie with a heart in the middle. He has worn the message for every game so far this season:
Kamario Taylor had a huge game and @HailStateFB won big.
He’s still not satisfied. @JennyDell_ pic.twitter.com/Vba5u3R00o
— CBS Sports College Football 🏈 (@CBSSportsCFB) September 12, 2026
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283 meaning
Although three-digit numbers typically represent area codes, 283 is an area code located in Southwest Ohio, not Taylor’s hometown of Macon, Miss.
In Taylor’s case, the 283 is to honor the neighborhood that he grew up in Macon: Baptist Hill.
“I do it every game,” Taylor told The Clarion-Ledger in mid-September. “It’s where I’m from. I’m from Macon, Mississippi, but the part of Macon I’m from is called Baptist Hill. BHC. It’s called Baptist Hill Chapel. So, B is the second letter of the alphabet, H is the eighth letter and C is the third letter.”
Why Kamario Taylor writes 283 Baby on eyeblack
As for the “baby” part after the 283, it’s not exactly all that deep, per Taylor:
“So, 283 Baby,” Taylor said via the newspaper. “Just keep it simple and keep it flat. I like to represent that part of the town very well.”
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Kamario Taylor stats
| TEAM | Comp.% | YDS | TD | INT | RUSH YARDS | RUSH TD |
| Mississippi State | 55.8 | 629 | 5 | 1 | 458 | 8 |
| Mississippi State | 69.2 | 1192 | 14 | 2 | 185 | 1 |
“So, 283 Baby,” Taylor said via the newspaper. “Just keep it simple and keep it flat. I like to represent that part of the town very well.”
