Will Kam Taylor Be Florida State’s Next Big Hooper?

Florida State returns none of its top names from a year ago, and with 12 newcomers on the roster, plenty remains unknown heading into the 2026–27 season, but Kam Taylor’s athleticism could make him the name everyone knows soon.

The Seminoles will get their first look at the nearly rebuilt roster when Florida State faces Southeastern Conference opponent Mississippi State in its first exhibition game of the year.

Florida State will face Mississippi State on Sat., Oct. 10, at 6 p.m. EST at the Pensacola Bay Center in Pensacola, Florida. The Seminoles return just three players from the 2025–26 season, but despite the offseason overhaul, Luke Loucks believes this year’s team is an upgrade over last year’s.

“If looks could win you games, we'd be in a really good spot. I really like our team,” Loucks said. “I do think (0:37) our roster took a big step in the right direction”

The roster features seven incoming freshmen from a class ranked 23rd nationally, along with five transfers who formed the nation’s 45th-ranked portal class. Judging by his reaction during an interview with Vince Wolfram, Loucks is especially excited about UNC Asheville transfer Kameron Taylor.

The shooting guard from Carmel Christian High School in Matthews, North Carolina, brings an athleticism to Tallahassee that the Seminoles haven’t seen in a while. Taylor has only been playing basketball for six years, giving the junior guard a high ceiling for what he could become as a player.

He might go down as the most athletic player in the history of Florida State,” Loucks said. “He’s only been playing basketball for five or six years…We feel like his best basketball is by far ahead of him”

Taylor committed to Florida State on April 15 after leading the Bulldogs in scoring last season at 18.9 points per game. In 32 games, he also averaged 5 rebounds and 3 assists while shooting 45.3 percent from the field. 

The biggest area needing improvement is Taylor's three-point shooting. He connected on just 28.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc last season, an area the Seminoles will need to help him improve.

As a freshman in 2024–25, Taylor was named to the All-Big South Freshman Team. He played in 31 games as a freshman, started two games, and averaged 8.9 points per game. Last season, as a sophomore, he earned First-Team All-Big South honors after averaging 18.9 points per game, leading the conference.

With a loaded schedule featuring national championship contenders such as Florida, Duke, Louisville, Houston, Tennessee, Miami, and Virginia, Loucks needs Taylor to show he can score and create opportunities for others. His athleticism should force opponents to send multiple defenders his way, creating wide-open opportunities for his teammates.

“What really separates him is his ability to create; he can make plays for himself and for others, “ Loucks said. “His combination of elite athleticism and playmaking gives him a chance to impact the game in a big way."

Florida State has a lot of new faces, but Taylor has the opportunity to become the face of the team, the one fans pay to see, and the player opponents have to game plan for. The question now is whether his athleticism will translate to the Atlantic Coast Conference and allow him to remain the scorer and playmaker he was at UNC Asheville. If it does, the unknown surrounding the Seminoles’ roster may not last very long.