One of the breakout stars of the 2026 college football season isn't going anywhere.
Mississippi State star quarterback Kamario Taylor is finalizing a deal to remain with the Bulldogs for the 2027 season, USA TODAY Sports confirmed on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
Multiple sources with ties to the Mississippi State program told USA TODAY Sports that the deal is worth at least $7 million.
This season, Taylor completed 65.4% of his passes for 1,460 yards, 17 touchdowns and four interceptions, along with 147 rushing yards and a touchdown. The sophomore injured his toe in a Sept. 26 win against Missouri that ultimately required surgery, sidelining him for the season. Taylor played through
the injury in losses to Alabama and at Oklahoma before he was shut down.
"Over the last few weeks, I've worked every day with our medical staff and done everything possible to be out there with my teammates," Taylor said in a statement at the time. "Missing the rest of this season is hard to accept, but I know God has a plan. ... My role will look different these next few weeks, but my commitment to this team won't change. I'll do whatever I can to help my brothers down the stretch."
Taylor is a native of Macon, Mississippi, about 35 miles from Mississippi State's Starkville campus, and grew up a Bulldogs fan. His uncle, Omarr Conner, was a quarterback and wide receiver at the school in the early 2000s and his younger brother, Jayytee, is a freshman on the team.
Despite those deep ties to the university, and despite repeated public statements that he wasn't going anywhere, Taylor's stellar play in the opening month of the season had made him the subject of seemingly endless transfer portal speculation. That chatter came to a head on Sept. 26, when Nick Saban said on "College GameDay" that he'd be trying to convince Taylor to get in the portal if he were still coaching.
Behind Taylor, Mississippi State got off to a 4-0 start and rose as high as No. 16 in the US LBM Coaches Poll, but has lost five in a row, with Taylor not taking a snap in three of those games.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kamario Taylor is heading back to Mississippi State football. How much will he be earning?
