College football’s quarterback market has reached another level, and Darian Mensah’s run as the sport’s highest-paid QB is about to end.
Mensah, who is set to make around $6.5 million for the 2026 season at Miami, is being overtaken by Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor. Under a new deal, Taylor is expected to earn $7.5 million in NIL money for his return to Starkville in 2027.
BREAKING: Kamario Taylor is finalizing a $7.5M deal to return to Mississippi State in 2027, making him college football's highest-paid QB, @PeteNakos and @Clowfb report.With incentives, the deal could potentially climb above $9 million.https://t.co/AzJYj4nCVS pic.twitter.com/dlp14HZhTe
The number is eye-catching, especially for a quarterback who split snaps two years ago as a freshman and then saw his sophomore season cut short. Taylor has thrown for 2,089 yards with 22 touchdowns and five interceptions during his time in Starkville.
Mississippi State was 4-1 to start the season with Taylor, and after a few more Week 7 snaps against Oklahoma, the Bulldogs shut him down because of turf toe issues. Since then, State has dropped to 4-5 and has looked far less dangerous without him. The Bulldogs beat South Carolina and Missouri with Taylor in the lineup, and both of those teams are now in the CFP top 25 rankings.
Keeping Taylor in town was clearly a priority. He came out of high school as a four-star recruit and was ranked anywhere from fifth to eighth nationally among quarterbacks by the major recruiting services.
Now, though, his value has moved well beyond recruiting rankings. The latest deal makes him the new standard-setter in the financial arms race around elite quarterbacks.
Mensah’s massive Miami deal helped push the ceiling higher in the first place, and the 2026 season has done little to suggest it was money wasted. Other quarterbacks are also cashing in, with Dante Moore and Trinidad Chambliss each carrying an On3 NIL valuation of $5 million. LSU’s Sam Leavitt is another big-name quarterback with an NIL valuation around $4.5 million.
Not every headline in this space has been a happy one. Michigan’s Bryce Underwood drew attention with an annual deal worth around $3 million, but Michigan has since gone south and Underwood has been benched after what the source describes as a very mediocre season and a half.
Taylor’s payday shows the market for proven quarterbacks is still climbing, and there’s no sign it’s slowing down.
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Mississippi State Faces One Auburn Problem That Could Decide Everything
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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 🡒]
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 🡒]