Kamario Taylor Set for $7.5 Million Mississippi State Deal

Kamario Taylor is poised to become college football’s top-paid quarterback, with a new deal set to bring him $7.5 million in name, image and likeness money for the 2027 season at Mississippi State. The figure would top the roughly $6.5 million Miami’s Darian Mensah is set to make in 2026.

Taylor’s 2026 season was cut short by turf toe. He played several snaps against Oklahoma in Week 7 before Mississippi State shut him down. The Bulldogs began the season 4-1 with him and have since fallen to 4-5, looking less competitive without their leading passer.

In Starkville, Taylor has thrown for 2,089 yards and 22 touchdowns, with five interceptions. Mississippi State beat South Carolina and Missouri while he was playing; both teams are now ranked in the College Football Playoff top 25. Taylor was a highly rated four-star recruit, ranked among the nation’s top eight quarterbacks by major recruiting services.

Other quarterbacks are also commanding large NIL valuations. Dante Moore and Trinidad Chambliss are each valued at $5 million by On3, while LSU’s Sam Leavitt is valued at about $4.5 million. Michigan’s Bryce Underwood, meanwhile, had a deal of roughly $3 million annually before being benched following a disappointing stretch for him and the team. Taylor’s agreement underscores the rising price of retaining an established quarterback.