Auburn’s search for a transfer portal quarterback just got a lot harder.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor, who had been the kind of fit Auburn could have circled for Alex Golesh and Joel Gordon’s veer-and-shoot offense in 2027, is staying put in Starkville. Taylor has re-signed with the Bulldogs, taking him off the board before Auburn ever had a chance to make a run in the portal this coming January.
Taylor is working back from a severe toe injury that ended his season in October, but Mississippi State is clearly betting big on what comes next. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Taylor’s deal begins at $7.5 million and can rise above $9 million. His return is being viewed as a major part of the Bulldogs’ offensive plans for next season, and the school is expected to increase football investment around him.
“The timing of the signing will allow coach Jeff Lebby to build a recruiting/portal class around Taylor, as the school pitched Taylor on an uptick in overall investment,” Thamel said.
“This deal is expected to be completed later today, per sources. It’s significant for Jeff Lebby for portal/recruiting and roster building.”
“One of the thing we realized is the level of quality players who are intrigued by joining Kamario at Mississippi State,” a source told ESPN.
Taylor’s decision also narrows the field for Auburn, which now has to look elsewhere for a portal answer. Missouri’s Austin Simmons is also back with his school, leaving the best options to come from messier situations.
That means the 2026 market may point toward Ohio State and Michigan.
At Ohio State, Julian Sayin’s season-ending shoulder injury wrecked the Buckeyes’ year, though the situation may also have been shaped by Ryan Day choosing true freshman Luke Fahey over former 5-star Ohio native Tavien St. Clair.
St. Clair could be a buy-low target this January if Ohio State’s roster starts to turn over, and his lack of playing time behind Fahey may have lowered his price.
Michigan brings a different kind of gamble. Bryce Underwood was once an eight-figure investment for LSU and Michigan, but his stock has fallen after a rough 2025 under Chip Lindsey and an even tougher 2026 under Jason Beck.
He still has talent, but it hasn’t shown at the Big Ten level. He could end up being the next Jackson Arnold, or he could be a better match for a veer-and-shoot system.
If Golesh believes Underwood’s processing still has room to grow, it’s a call worth making.
For Auburn, the pool is getting thinner by the day. The quarterbacks who are thriving are less likely to move, which may push Golesh and company toward a different kind of bet this January: finding a diamond in the rough.
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