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...
Oklahoma State Has Real Reason To Watch Eric Morris And Texas Tech
Texas Techs coaching situation has become part of the background noise around Oklahoma State, especially with Eric Morris now in Stillwater and his name already surfacing in other conversations. Morris, a former Red Raiders player, has tried to keep the focus on his own program, saying he is committed to Oklahoma State even as outside interest follows a coach with his profile.
The Texas Tech side of the equation matters because Joey McGuire has built real momentum in Lubbock, including guiding the Red Raiders to their first College Football Playoff appearance last season. With Texas Tech leadership publicly backing McGuire and signaling stability, Oklahoma State has a reason to keep an eye on how that situation develops, even if Morris keeps insisting his attention is elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Has A Real Chance To Wreck Texas Techs Playoff Push
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A big part of that threat starts with quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who has been piling up big passing days and giving Oklahoma State a real chance to stress a Texas Tech defense that has not always looked steady. With kickoff set for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, this has the feel of a game where the Cowboys can do more than just play spoiler, and Texas Tech will have to prove its playoff case on the road against a team that can score in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]
Texas Tech Faces A Dangerous Big 12 Test At Oklahoma State
Texas Techs grip on the Big 12 race has made every week feel like a referendum on whether the Red Raiders can stay ahead of the pack, and a trip to Stillwater is shaping up as one of the more dangerous stops left on the schedule. Oklahoma State has spent the season in the mix of contenders pushing at the top, and the Cowboys bring a quarterback in Drew Mestemaker who has made them far more than a spoiler in conference play.
Mestemakers emergence has helped turn this into the kind of matchup that can tilt the league standings in a hurry, especially with both teams capable of putting pressure on the scoreboard. The betting market has treated it like a game with plenty of offensive potential, which only adds to the sense that Texas Tech is walking into a test that could say a lot about where the Big 12 race is headed next. [Read more 🡒]