Kamario Taylor is set to be back in Starkville.
According to ESPN college football insider Pete Thamel, Taylor is finalizing a deal to return to Mississippi State for the 2027 season. The news comes amid earlier speculation that other programs could try to lure him into the transfer portal, even though the portal is not currently open for entry.
Taylor’s season was cut short after he injured his toe in September and was ruled out for the rest of the 2026 campaign in October. Before that, he had already put himself in the national spotlight.
“Sources: Mississippi State star quarterback Kamario Taylor is finalizing a deal to return there in 2027. His return means one of the faces of college football next year will be in Starkville. Taylor led MSU to a 4-0 record to start this year before injury cut short his season. https://t.co/zVTZrVN0BK”
Taylor was one of the sport’s most productive players early in the year and is viewed as a potential top pick in the 2028 NFL Draft. Through four games, he tied for the national lead in passing touchdowns and ranked third in total yards. He got hurt against Missouri in the fourth game.
“Taylor was one of the sport’s most dominant players early in the season and projects as a potential top pick in the 2028 NFL Draft. Through four games this year - he got hurt against Missouri in the fourth - Taylor tied for the lead nationally in passing touchdowns and was third in total yards.”
Before the injury, Taylor helped Mississippi State jump out to a 4-0 start with wins over Minnesota, South Carolina and Mizzou. After he was sidelined on Oct. 27, the Bulldogs lost to Alabama, LSU and Oklahoma. In November, they also fell to Texas and Vanderbilt, leaving them at 4-5.
The sophomore finished with 65.4% completions, 9.2 yards per attempt, 1,460 passing yards and 17 touchdowns against just 4 interceptions. He also added 1 rushing touchdown. When healthy, Taylor averaged 298 passing yards per game.
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 States Future Now Rests On One Massive Kamario Taylor Decision
Kamario Taylors next move has become the kind of offseason storyline that can shape a programs direction well beyond one year. Mississippi State is working to keep the quarterback in Starkville for the 2027 season, and the deal being finalized is reportedly worth at least $7 million, a sign of just how much the Bulldogs value his long-term place in Jeff Lebbys plans.
Taylors situation carries extra weight because his 2026 season ended with a foot injury and season-ending surgery, leaving his return tied as much to health as to money and timing. He will be a junior next season and is not eligible for the NFL draft until 2028, and Lebby has already confirmed negotiations are ongoing, leaving Mississippi State with a major decision still hanging over its future. [Read more 🡒]