Ole Miss senior Keerthin Karthikeyan named Marshall Scholarship finalist; state sports and politics briefs

Keerthin Karthikeyan, a senior at the University of Mississippi from Oxford, has been named a finalist for a Marshall Scholarship and will interview Nov. 18 in Atlanta. Magnolia Tribune reported the selection; the Marshall funds two years of graduate study at a British university. Ole Miss has produced five Marshall Scholars, most recently Sophia Toner in 2025.

The Washington Post, as summarized by Magnolia Tribune, reported a federal complaint alleging that a dark‑money nonprofit called United Futures Inc. ran an illegal straw donor scheme. The complaint, filed by the Campaign Legal Center with the Federal Election Commission, alleges United Futures — incorporated Aug. 12 in Delaware and said to have spent nearly $20 million over two months — gave at least $3 million to super PACs backing Democrats in Alaska, Mississippi and Kansas.

Sports: The Walter Camp Football Foundation released its semifinalists Nov. 11 and named Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss a semifinalist for the 2026 Player of the Year Award; Chambliss was also named a Maxwell Award semifinalist. Walter Camp will unveil finalists later in November, and the winner will be announced Dec. 11 on the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show.

Mississippi State announced that quarterback Kamario Taylor signed a $7.5 million deal to return to Starkville next season. Magnolia Tribune published Taylor’s statement saying his recovery is “right on track” and that he looks forward to playing for Coach Jeff Lebby in 2027.

Other national coverage cited by Magnolia Tribune included reporting from The Hill on Democrats’ new campaign emphasis on faith following the 2026 midterms and business coverage from CNBC and the Wall Street Journal on slowing retail growth and recent inflation readings.

Source: Magnolia Tribune