Auburn’s search for a transfer portal quarterback took a hit before it even really started. Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor, who would have been a clean fit for Alex Golesh and Joel Gordon’s veer-and-shoot offense in 2027, is staying put in Starkville after re-signing with the Bulldogs.
Taylor’s return comes as he works his way back from a severe toe injury that ended his season in October. ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported that the deal begins at $7.5 million and can rise above $9 million, a sign that Mississippi State is making Taylor a centerpiece of what comes next.
“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 off the board, Auburn’s options at quarterback in the portal get thinner fast. Missouri’s Austin Simmons also re-signed, leaving the best available names likely to come from messy situations rather than stable ones.
That’s where things get interesting for 2026, because the biggest possibilities may be tied to Ohio State and Michigan.
At Ohio State, Julian Sayin’s season-ending shoulder injury derailed the Buckeyes’ season, though the situation may also have been shaped by Ryan Day leaning into true freshman Luke Fahey instead of former 5-star Ohio native Tavien St. Clair.
St. Clair could be the most likely player to leave, and his lack of opportunity behind Fahey may have lowered his price in the process.
Michigan presents another possibility in Bryce Underwood. He was once an eight-figure investment for LSU and Michigan, but his stock has dropped after a rough 2025 under Chip Lindsey and an even tougher 2026 under Jason Beck.
Underwood still has talent, but it hasn’t shown up at the Big Ten level. He could wind up as the next Jackson Arnold, or he could be a strong match for a veer-and-shoot system.
If Golesh believes Underwood’s processing still has room to grow, it would be worth making the call.
For Auburn, the bigger picture is simple: the portal market is getting tighter for quarterbacks who are already playing well. That may push Golesh and his staff toward a diamond-in-the-rough type of swing this January instead.
In Other News...
Elly De La Cruz Just Gave Reds Fans A New Debate
Sal Stewarts Rookie of the Year season gave the Reds a new offensive centerpiece, but the conversation around Cincinnatis infield got a little more interesting when the All-MLB teams were announced. Elly De La Cruz landed on the Second Team at shortstop, a recognition that still puts him among the games elite and keeps his name in the same breath as the best players at the position.
Bobby Witt Jr. took the First Team spot, which is where the debate starts for Reds fans who have watched De La Cruzs all-around impact grow. He finished second among shortstops in batting average and led the group in slugging percentage and OPS, a combination that only adds fuel to the argument about where he belongs on the sports top tier. Meanwhile, Tejay Antones comeback after his third Tommy John surgery was one of the years better feel-good stories in Cincinnati, even if his return to 58 games did not land him among the National League comeback player finalists. [Read more 🡒]
Nick Krall Just Raised An Uncomfortable Elly De La Cruz Question
Emilio Pagns decision to opt out and reportedly land with the Detroit Tigers only adds to an offseason that already has the Reds juggling a few important roster questions. Cincinnati has several key free agents to sort through, but the biggest one hanging over the front office is still Elly De La Cruz, the dynamic centerpiece who gives the club its most electric presence and, in many ways, its clearest path forward.
Nick Krall said the Reds want to keep De La Cruz long-term, which is the easy part of the conversation. The harder part is the one he left open by not shutting the door on a future trade, even while saying there have been no trade talks this offseason. For a team trying to balance present ambition with long-term control, that leaves De La Cruz as both the obvious answer and the uncomfortable question. [Read more 🡒]
Former Reds Coach Derek Johnson Just Took An Unexpected Next Step
Derek Johnsons next stop came together faster than many around the Reds likely expected. The longtime pitching coach, who was recently replaced in Cincinnati, has landed with the New York Mets in an advisory role, giving him a new home in the game after his stint with the Reds ended following a leave of absence during the 2023 season.
The setup in New York is a little different from the grind Johnson had in Cincinnati. His new position does not require daily travel with the club, which makes it a more flexible arrangement as he remains part of a major league organization without the full-time demands of a traditional dugout job. For a Reds team moving on from a familiar voice in its pitching room, it is another reminder of how quickly the coaching carousel can turn. [Read more 🡒]