Kamario Taylor is headed back to Mississippi State in 2027, and the number attached to that return is staggering.
According to On3Sports, the Bulldogs star is finalizing a new deal that will keep him in Starkville and put him among the sport’s highest-paid players. Per On3’s Chris Low and Pete Nakos, Taylor’s agreement is worth $7.5 million per year, with incentives that could push it all the way to $9 million.
That kind of payday matches the kind of start Taylor gave Mississippi State before injury derailed his season. He opened 2026 with a burst of Heisman buzz after helping the Bulldogs race to a 4-0 start, and he was viewed as a dark horse candidate before a turf toe injury changed everything.
Taylor’s season ended after surgery in late October. The injury first surfaced in the win over Missouri, when he stayed in the game despite being hurt.
Mississippi State then lost 56-23 to Alabama, with Taylor playing through the issue, taking five sacks, throwing two interceptions and losing a fumble early. He was pulled in the fourth quarter and did not return.
He missed the Oct. 17 game at LSU, then tried to play the following week against Oklahoma before being replaced by backup Billy Parker Puckett in a 23-14 loss. On Oct. 27, the school announced that Taylor would undergo season-ending surgery.
“Nobody wants to be on that field more than Kamario,” Bulldog head coach Jeff Lebby said via ESPN. “I know how much this team means to him, and how much he means to this team. We’ll be right there with him throughout his recovery.
“He’s the ultimate teammate and competitor. ... You see it in the work he’s put in and the way our players and coaches believe in him the way they do.”
Taylor’s return comes after a stretch in which Mississippi State has gone 0-5 since his injury against Missouri. The Macon, Mississippi, native grew up as a lifelong Bulldogs fan, but his hot start had sparked speculation that he might look elsewhere through the portal.
Instead, Mississippi State appears to have locked down its quarterback with a deal that reflects just how valuable he has become.
Taylor’s production over the last two seasons backs that up. In 2025, he completed 55.8% of his passes for 629 yards, five touchdowns and one interception, while also rushing for 458 yards and eight scores. In 2026, before the injury, he was at 65.4% completions with 1,460 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions, plus 147 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown.
Taylor will return to Mississippi State as a junior in 2027, with the Bulldogs hoping his comeback can help deliver a winning season in Starkville for the first time under Jeff Lebby.
In Other News...
Mississippi States QB Future Just Became A Massive Talking Point
Mississippi States quarterback conversation has taken on a different kind of weight, with Kamario Taylor reportedly finalizing a name, image and likeness deal tied to the 2027 season that would put him in a financial tier college football has never really seen before. The number alone is enough to turn heads around Starkville, but it also underscores how quickly the market for proven quarterbacks has escalated as programs chase stability at the sports most important position.
The reported figure would arrive after Miamis Darian Mensah landed a $6.5 million NIL contract for the 2026 season, another sign that experienced college quarterbacks are becoming premium assets. For Mississippi State, Taylors situation is bigger than one contract headline. It is part of a broader shift in how quarterbacks are valued, and it raises the stakes for what the Bulldogs can build around him if the deal is completed as expected. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Faces One Auburn Problem That Could Decide Everything
Auburn comes into its matchup with Mississippi State at 5-4 overall and 3-4 in the SEC after a win over Arkansas, while the Bulldogs are trying to stop a five-game skid that has left them 4-5 overall and 2-5 in league play. It is the kind of late-season SEC meeting where both teams are searching for something solid to hang onto, and for Mississippi State, the attention quickly turns to how it handles Auburn quarterback Byrum Brown.
Brown has become the central concern because of the pressure he can put on a defense that has already had plenty to sort through during this losing streak. Auburn has not exactly been a model of consistency either, which makes the game feel even more volatile, but Mississippi State knows the quarterback matchup could tilt everything if it cannot find a clean answer. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Just Got A Huge Sign About Its QB Future
Kamario Taylors Mississippi State future has suddenly become a lot clearer, and it points well beyond the present season. The sophomore quarterback was lost in September and ruled out for the rest of 2026, but before the injury he had already helped the Bulldogs race to a 4-0 start, giving the program a real glimpse of what its offense can look like with him at the controls.
Now, according to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel, Taylor is reportedly finalizing a deal to return to Mississippi State for the 2027 season. For a team trying to build around a young quarterback with NFL-level upside, that is the kind of development that can shape roster planning and expectations for years to come, especially with Taylor viewed as a potential top pick in the 2028 NFL Draft. [Read more 🡒]