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...
Ohio State Suddenly Has A Receiver Problem Before Northwestern
With both teams heading into Saturday already short at quarterback, Ohio States offensive picture has gotten a little murkier than expected. The Buckeyes were already preparing for life without their starter under center, but the injury report also puts a spotlight on the receiver room, where Brandon Inniss, Phillip Bell and Brock Boyd are all listed as questionable. That is a notable wrinkle for an offense that may need to lean on its depth and simplify things a bit against Northwestern.
The concern does not stop there, either. Running back JaKobi Jackson and tight end Max LeBlanc remain sidelined, which takes away more of the supporting cast around the passing game and limits some of the flexibility in the game plan. Northwestern has its own long list of absences, including starting quarterback Aidan Chiles and cornerback Josh Fussell, but for Ohio State the bigger issue is whether it can line up enough healthy targets to keep the offense moving cleanly. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States Quarterback Future Suddenly Has Two Names To Watch
Julian Sayins season-ending injury changed the feel of Ohio States quarterback room in a hurry, and Luke Fahey has been the one asked to steady things since. The Buckeyes have dropped their last two games, which has only sharpened the conversation around what the position could look like beyond this stretch and how much help the staff may want to add if it decides the room needs another layer of depth.
Drake Lindsey at Minnesota and Marcus Stokes at Memphis have emerged as two names worth monitoring in that discussion, even if nothing is close to settled. Both quarterbacks bring production that makes them intriguing fits on paper, and both would give Ohio State another option to weigh as it looks ahead, but for now their transfer situations remain speculative and the Buckeyes are still in evaluation mode. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio States 2027 Running Back Picture Just Got More Interesting
Ohio States 2027 running back board got a notable boost with the addition of Daylon Gordon, a four-star prospect from Wylie, Texas, who has now committed to the Buckeyes. Gordon had previously been pledged to Texas State, but his move gives Ohio State another highly regarded back in a class the staff is still actively shaping.
The commitment also keeps the door open for more movement at the position, since Ohio State is continuing to pursue additional running backs for the 2027 cycle. Gordons offer list already included multiple Power 4 schools, so his decision adds more weight to a class that is still far from finished and could become even more crowded before signing day arrives. [Read more 🡒]