College football and Mississippi State fans alike are rejoicing with the news that star quarterback Kamario Taylor is returning to Starkville in 2027. According to On3Sports. Taylor is set to finalize a new deal that will bring him back to Mississippi State in 2027 and make him one of the highest-paid players in the sport.
Taylor, who received early-season Heisman buzz after leading Mississippi State to a 4-0 start, will return to the school as a junior in 2027. His 2026 season was cut short by a turf toe injury he suffered in September that ultimately required season-ending surgery in late October.
Here’s everything you need to know about Taylor’s return to Mississippi State.
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Kamario Taylor NIL details
Per On3’s Chris Low and Pete Nakos, Taylor’s new deal with the school is worth $7.5 million a year. The report adds that with incentives, it could be worth up to a whopping $9 million.
Taylor played as a backup, mostly as a running quarterback behind starter Blake Shapen last season, but was Mississippi State’s full-time starter entering this season. He got off to a red-hot start to the 2026 season, throwing for 1,192 yards with 14 touchdowns and just two interceptions. Mississippi State defeated Louisiana-Monroe, Minnesota on the road, South Carolina and then-No. 19 Missouri to start the season.
After the 31-24 win over the Tigers, Mississippi State was ranked 16th in the country ahead of its game against Alabama. Taylor was also viewed as a dark horse Heisman candidate. But during the Missouri win, Taylor suffered a turf toe injury, although he did not leave the game.
During MSU’s 56-23 loss to Alabama, Taylor played through a visible injury, was sacked five times and threw two interceptions while losing a fumble early in the game.
He was pulled in the fourth quarter and did not return. He missed MSU’s next game on Oct. 17 at LSU and tried to play through his injury during his team’s 23-14 loss to Oklahoma the following week, but was replaced by backup Billy Parker Puckett.
On Oct. 27, the school announced that Taylor was having season-ending surgery on his toe injury. According to ESPN, Taylor pushed hard to play after suffering the injury, but getting healthy so he could be effective outweighed him playing through it.
“Nobody wants to be on that field more than Kamario,” Bulldog head coach Jeff Lebby said via ESPN. “I know how much this team means to him, and how much he means to this team. We’ll be right there with him throughout his recovery.
“He’s the ultimate teammate and competitor. … You see it in the work he’s put in and the way our players and coaches believe in him the way they do.”
Since his injury against Missouri, Mississippi State has gone 0-5. Taylor, who is from Macon, Mississippi, grew up a lifelong Bulldog fan. But after the start he had to the season, several speculated whether or not Taylor would enter the portal and play elsewhere.
But kudos for Mississippi State on guaranteeing its star player stays put in getting him a lucrative offer. Not to mention Taylor and his family getting generational wealth with this deal is a huge plus.
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Kamario Taylor stats
| Year | Team | Cmp% | Yds | TD | Int | Rush Yds | Rush TD |
| 2025 | Mississippi State | 55.8 | 629 | 5 | 1 | 458 | 8 |
| 2026 | Mississippi State | 65.4 | 1,460 | 17 | 4 | 147 | 1 |
Largest reported NIL deals in CFB this season
While we do not know where Taylor’s new deal puts him among fellow 2027 returning players. But going off of some of the highest-paid players from this season, Taylor would even top Miami quarterback Darian Mensah. Here’s a look at some of the highest-paid players in college football this season via On3’s NIL Valuations:
- QB Darian Mensah, Miami: $6.5 million
- QB Dante Moore, Oregon: $5 million
- WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State: $5 million
- QB Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss: $5 million
- QB Sam Leavitt, LSU: $4.5 million
- OT Jordan Seaton, LSU: $4 million
- QB Josh Hoover, Indiana: $4 million
- QB Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State: $3.5 million
- QB Bryce Underwood, Michigan: $3 million
- QB Byrum Brown, Auburn: $3 million
- QB CJ Carr, Notre Dame: $3 million
- QB Marcel Reed, Texas A&M: $3 million
Taylor will return to Mississippi State with hopes of bringing a winning season to Starkville for the first time under head coach Jeff Lebby.
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