Mississippi State is on the verge of locking down Kamario Taylor, and the ripple effect could reshape the quarterback market across college football.
Taylor is expected to finalize a deal with the Bulldogs on Wednesday, multiple outlets reported, and the contract is projected to make him the highest-paid quarterback in the sport. For Mississippi State, it’s a massive retention win. For everyone else shopping in the transfer portal, it’s another reminder that the quarterback pool is getting thin fast.
That shortage has been building for weeks. Missouri’s Austin Simmons, Oregon State’s Braden Atkinson and Nebraska’s Anthony Colandrea have all reportedly signed deals to stay with their current programs. Those decisions matter because the portal has been leaning on quarterbacks as its biggest currency, and the list of realistic targets keeps shrinking.
The depth chart of available passers is not exactly overflowing with game-changers, either. Among the top 25 quarterbacks in college football, only 13 are underclassmen. Even there, several are expected to either jump to the NFL Draft early or remain where they are, including Alabama’s Keelon Russell and Oklahoma State’s Drew Mestemaker.
There’s also a layer of quarterbacks who already changed schools once and may not be eager to do it again. Wake Forest’s Gio Lopez, Baylor’s DJ Lagway and Kentucky’s Kenny Minchey fit that group, which only tightens the market further.
If the portal does end up producing the next wave of quarterbacks, the names at the top may not be the kind that tilt a playoff race. Memphis’s Marcus Stokes, Texas State’s Brad Jackson and NC State’s CJ Bailey are all solid options, but the source of the market’s frustration is obvious: those are not the kinds of players who usually transform a contender overnight.
And plenty of contenders are looking for exactly that. Texas A&M and Oklahoma see themselves as one quarterback away from getting back to the playoff.
Indiana and Miami have already leaned on transfers to climb to the top. Even Oklahoma State and Notre Dame could be forced into the market if their current quarterbacks head to the NFL.
There are still a few wild cards. Texas quarterback Arch Manning has settled in during the second half of the year, though rumors had circulated that he could explore his options.
Oregon’s Dante Moore is another name to watch after turning down being the No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft to return to school. After missing the second half of the season with a concussion, he might want a fresh start.
LSU and Ohio State also face decisions on quarterback contracts with Sam Leavitt and Julian Sayin, but the advice here is simple: don’t overthink it.
The portal has changed the sport by making ready-made quarterbacks one of its most valuable assets. Eight of the top 10 passers in the country are transfers, including the top three. But even as more programs start chasing upperclassmen instead of projects, the supply is drying up.
That leaves a long list of fanbases waiting for a savior and not nearly enough quarterbacks to go around.
In Other News...
Mizzou Gets One Huge Georgia Question And One Brutal Injury Blow
Missouri got one encouraging update and one painful setback coming out of the Texas game, with receiver Cayden Lee cleared to keep going after a knee injury and edge rusher Langden Kitchen ruled out for the rest of the season. Eli Drinkwitz said Lees knee has no structural damage, which at least keeps one piece of the offense intact as the Tigers move deeper into the stretch run.
Kitchens loss lands harder because he was part of the starting edge group and now leaves Missouri to reshuffle a defense that already has to manage the week-to-week grind of the SEC. On the other side of this matchup, Georgia is carrying its own injury uncertainty with two players on the report, including one questionable and another already done for the year, so both teams are walking into this one with more health questions than they would like. [Read more 🡒]
Missouri Faces A Brutal Test At No. 1 Georgia
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Georgias edge has shown up in the details, from its turnover margin to the way it has limited opponents defensively, even while working through some injuries. Gunner Stockton has helped steady the offense, and linebacker Chris Cole gives the Bulldogs another impact presence on defense, leaving Missouri with a major challenge and plenty to solve if it wants to keep this one competitive. [Read more 🡒]
Missouris Unbeaten Start Faces Its First Real Home Test
Missouris women have opened the regular season 3-0, and the early returns have given Kellie Harper plenty to like. The Tigers are averaging 90.0 points while allowing 65.7, and Harper has pointed to cleaner offensive execution and better ball movement since the close game against Howard as signs the group is settling in.
Now comes the first real chance to see how that start holds up at home. UT Martin and Lindenwood are next on the schedule, and both bring enough recent form and stylistic quirks to make these games more than routine tuneups, especially for a Missouri team trying to keep building rhythm while protecting its unbeaten record. [Read more 🡒]