2019 Football Roster
Roster
Keytaon Thompson
- Position:
- QB
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 225
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- New Orleans, LA
- High School/Previous School:
- Landry-Walker HS
2018 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
2017 Fall SEC Academic Honor Roll
CAREER: Exceptional dual-threat quarterback, who is 2-0 as a starter with 18 career touchdowns … A “gamer” who is not afraid of the bright lights … Thrust into significant action as a true freshman in the final two games of 2017 following Nick Fitzgerald’s injury … Led the Bulldogs to a TaxSlayer Bowl victory in his first career start … Served as Fitzgerald’s backup for the 2017 campaign and shined … Became the first true freshman signal caller to start a game for MSU since 2014 … Also started the 2018 season opener in place of Fitzgerald … Began classes on Jan. 9, 2017 at MSU – just a few weeks after winning a state championship in New Orleans … Played in 19 games with two starts … Owns three 100-yard rushing games.
2019 JUNIOR SEASON: In his one game, caught an eight-yard pass vs. Ole Miss (11/28) for his first career reception.
2018 SOPHOMORE SEASON: Played in nine games … Started once, and backed up starter Nick Fitzgerald during the other eight … Finished 18-of-39 passing for 458 yards and six touchdowns against one interception … Longest pass was 84 yards in the season opener … Rushed 24 times for 226 yards, averaging 9.4 yards per carry, and four touchdowns … Longest run was 25 yards in the season opener … In just his second career start, was the star of the night vs. Stephen F. Austin (9/1), accounting for 473 yards of total offense and seven touchdowns (tied SEC record) in just over three quarters of action … He was 13-of-31 for 364 yards and five scores (tying an MSU record) through the air and also rushed for a team-best 109 yards and two TDs … The seven TDs responsible for led all FBS players in Week 1. The 473 yards of total offense ranked sixth in MSU single-game history … Became just the third player in MSU history to rush for 100 yards and throw for 300 yards in a game, joining Nick Fitzgerald and Dak Prescott … Also just the fifth SEC player to achieve the feat since Oct. 24, 2015, joining Jalen Hurts (2016) and Chad Kelly (2015) … Highlight of the game occurred when he fired an 84-yard touchdown, which was the longest completion at MSU in 14 years (2004) … His first five completions of the game all went for 20 or more yards, including a 53-yard TD to running back Kylin Hill on MSU's first offensive drive … All nine of his first-half completions went to nine different receivers for 263 total yards and four touchdowns … Scored on a 16-yard run vs. Louisiana (9/15) … Entered the game late in the third quarter and finished with 52 yards on five rushes … Also completed two of his three passes (the other was intercepted) … Rushed three times for 42 yards and a 19-yard score vs. Louisiana Tech (11/3) … Took over for Fitzgerald vs. Arkansas (11/17) on Senior Day midway through the fourth quarter … Completed 3-of-4 passes for 61 yards and a 33-yard touchdown pass on fourth and long.
2017 TRUE FRESHMAN SEASON: Played in 10 games with his first career start coming in the TaxSlayer Bowl … Did not play against Texas A&M, UMass and Alabama … Completed 32-of-66 passes for 388 yards and two touchdowns … MSU’s third-leading rusher with 446 yards on 75 carries with six scores … Made collegiate debut against Charleston Southern (9/2), completing 4-of-7 passes for 31 yards and a touchdown while rushing for 36 yards … First career TD pass was an 11-yard strike to Jamal Couch in the fourth quarter of the opener … With MSU dominating in the second half vs. Kentucky (10/21), rushed for 65 yards on four carries and two scores on the ground … Capped the night with a career-best 40-yard TD run against the Wildcats … Spelled an injured Nick Fitzgerald in the first quarter in the Egg Bowl (11/23) and finished with a season-best 316 yards of total offense … Recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game with 121 yards on 26 carries and one touchdown against the Rebels … Threw for a season-best 195 yards and one touchdown and nearly led MSU to a comeback … Became the first true freshman to start at QB in a bowl game for MSU since 2007 and just the third in school history (Wesley Caroll, John Bond) … Guided the Bulldogs to a win against Louisville in his first start, rushing for a season-high 147 yards on 27 carries and three touchdowns … Tied the MSU bowl record for rushing scores … Also completed 11-of-20 passes for 127 yards against the Cardinals.
HIGH SCHOOL: One of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in America and a proven winner … Combined for three state championships in football and basketball … Consensus four-star recruit out of Landry-Walker High School in New Orleans where he was coached by Emanuel Powell … No. 1 QB recruit in Louisiana according to 247Sports and a Parade All-American honorable mention … Became the first player in Landry-Walker history to be named Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year following an incredible senior season in 2016 … 2016 District 8-5A MVP and finalist for the Gatorade National Player of the Year … 2016 LSWA Class 5A Most Outstanding Offensive Player … Racked up 10,737 yards of total offense and accounted for 149 touchdowns during his prep career … Finished his senior season, completing 198 of 331 passes for 3,825 yards and 46 touchdowns while rushing 152 times for 1,434 yards and 26 TDs … Amassed 5,259 yards of total offense in 2016 … Accounted for 457 yards of total offense and six touchdowns in the 2016 Class 5A state championship game, leading the Charging Buccaneers to a 50-21 win over West Monroe to produce the school’s first state title … Squad capped the year on a 13-game winning streak and in that stretch he accounted for 66 touchdowns … Completed 16 of 27 passes for 303 yards with five touchdowns and carried 23 times for another 154 yards, dazzling fans in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in the state title game … In five playoff games as a senior, completed 81 of 119 passes for 1,485 yards with 17 touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 534 yards and 11 scores … As a junior, directed the Charging Bucs to a 10-3 record, a share of the District 8-5A championship and an appearance in the 2015 Class 5A state quarterfinals … Four-year starter at QB and a three-year starter in basketball … Basketball teammates with current MSU guard Lamar Peters … The two led Landry-Walker to back-to-back Class 4A state championships in 2014 and 2015 … A knack for making big plays, Thompson drained the game-winning bucket in the 2015 LHSAA Top 28 Class 4A championship game … Originally committed to MSU on Dec. 16, 2015 … Maintained a 3.12 GPA.
PERSONAL: Born Keytaon Kaylen Thompson on Oct. 23, 1998, in New Orleans … Nickname is “K.T.” … Son of Naffateria and Kintay Thompson … Has one sibling, Kayden … Is an avid chess player … All-time favorite MSU player is Dak Prescott … Majoring in sports studies … Twitter handle is @Thompson_Kt5.
THOMPSON’S CAREER HIGHS
Pass Attempts: 31, vs. Stephen F. Austin (9-1-18)
Pass Completions: 13, vs. Ole Miss (11-23-17)
Pass Yards: 364, vs. Stephen F. Austin (9-1-18)
Pass Touchdowns: 5, vs. Stephen F. Austin (9-1-18)
Long Pass: 84, vs. Stephen F. Austin (9-1-18)
Completion Percentage: 55.0, vs. Ole Miss (11-23-17)
Rush Attempts: 27, vs. Louisville (12-30-17)
Rush Yards: 147, vs. Louisville (12-30-17)
Rush Touchdowns: 3, vs. Louisville (12-30-17)
Long Rush: 40, vs. Kentucky (10-21-17)
Total Offense Yards: 473, vs. Stephen F. Austin (9-1-18)
Touchdowns Responsible: 7, vs. Stephen F. Austin (9-1-18)
![Jacksonville Jaguars punter Logan Cooke (9) punts during the second quarter of an NFL football matchup at EverBank Stadium, Sunday, Dec. 14, 2025, in Jacksonville, Fla. The Jaguars defeated the Jets 48-20. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union]](https://images.sidearmdev.com/resize?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdxbhsrqyrr690.cloudfront.net%2Fsidearm.nextgen.sites%2Fmsstate.sidearmsports.com%2Fimages%2F2026%2F1%2F1%2FUSATSI_27828199.jpg&height=340&type=webp)
