Auburn’s preferred transfer quarterback target is no longer available.
Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor has re-signed with the Bulldogs, taking him off the board for the Tigers and keeping him in Starkville. Taylor, who is recovering from a severe toe injury that ended his season in October, would have fit the profile Auburn was looking for in Alex Golesh and Joel Gordon’s veer-and-shoot offense in 2027.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that Taylor’s deal begins at $7.5 million and can rise above $9 million. His return is also being treated as a major building block for Mississippi State’s offense next season, with the Bulldogs preparing to invest heavily in football again because of the re-signing.
“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.
With Taylor gone and Missouri’s Austin Simmons also re-signing with his school, the transfer market at quarterback is starting to look thinner for Auburn. The best names available may come from messy situations rather than clean ones.
That leaves two familiar powers in the conversation: Ohio State and Michigan.
Julian Sayin’s season-ending shoulder injury derailed Ohio State’s season, though that may also be tied to Ryan Day leaning into true freshman Luke Fahey over former 5-star Ohio native Tavien St. Clair.
If Ohio State does see a portal exodus, St. Clair could be the buy-low option this January.
He may be the most likely Buckeye to leave, and the fact that he never got a real shot over Fahey could push his price down.
Michigan’s Bryce Underwood presents a different kind of gamble. He was once an eight-figure investment for LSU and Michigan, but his value has dropped after a rough 2025 under Chip Lindsey and an even tougher 2026 under Jason Beck.
The talent is still there, but it hasn’t shown up at the Big Ten level. He could turn into the next Jackson Arnold, or he could be a better fit in a veer-and-shoot system.
For Golesh, he’d at least be worth a call if there’s belief Underwood’s processing still has room to grow.
The bigger picture is simple: the portal isn’t overflowing with quarterbacks who are playing well right now. For Auburn, the smarter play in January may be hunting for a diamond in the rough.
In Other News...
Auburn Still Has Tough 2027 Recruiting Calls To Make
With the early signing period for the Class of 2027 drawing closer, Auburn is entering the part of recruiting where the easy work is mostly done and the hard decisions begin. Alex Golesh has made it clear the Tigers want to finish the class strong, and that means balancing the commitments already in place with the players the staff is still pushing hardest to land.
Auburns recent addition gave the class a boost, but the final stretch is still about roster evaluation and how the staff chooses to spend its time and resources. Some current pledges could be revisited while other targets get a more aggressive push, which leaves the Tigers with a few important calls still hanging in the balance before signing day arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Auburns Bowl Push Comes With Real Upset Risk In Starkville
Auburn heads to Starkville with a chance to keep its winning streak alive and move one step closer to bowl eligibility, but this is the kind of SEC trip that can get tricky fast. Alex Golesh has already pointed to the early kickoff as one of the hurdles, and Auburn will need to bring a sharp, high-level effort against a Mississippi State team that has dropped five straight but still has enough pieces to make this uncomfortable.
The matchup comes down to a few familiar pressure points for Auburn: slowing down AJ Swann, leaning on the run game and keeping Byrum Brown protected up front. Linebacker depth and time of possession also loom large, especially in a road setting where Auburn cannot afford to let the game drift into a grind. On paper, the Tigers have the better path, but this is exactly the sort of spot where a bowl push can turn into a stress test. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Walks Into Starkville With Mississippi State Fans Checking Out
Saturdays trip to Davis Wade Stadium arrives at an awkward time for Mississippi State, which is closing out its SEC home slate against Auburn with a lot less buzz than the matchup might have carried earlier in the fall. The game is set for 11 a.m. CT, and the market around it has told the story of the Bulldogs recent slide, with secondary-ticket prices falling sharply as interest has cooled.
For Auburn, it is a chance to walk into Starkville with a little history on its side, and for Alex Golesh it will be his first look at the setting from the visiting sideline. The Tigers have won there more often than not, and while that does not decide anything on Saturday, it does add another layer to a game that now feels as much about atmosphere and momentum as it does about the standings. [Read more 🡒]