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Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor is on the verge of securing a new deal with the Bulldogs, multiple outlets reported Wednesday, making him the latest high-profile passer to spurn the transfer portal and stay put. The contract is expected to make Taylor the highest-paid quarterback in college football, a landmark moment for the program.
Taylor's decision also delivers another blow to an already dwindling transfer portal quarterback class. In recent weeks, Missouri's Austin Simmons, Oregon State's Braden Atkinson, and Nebraska's Anthony Colandrea have all reportedly signed agreements to return to their respective schools.
While some contracts could still be tested—similar to Darian Mensah's situation at Duke last season—the pool of available portal targets is shrinking fast. Of the top 25 passers in college football, only 13 are classified as underclassmen. From that group, several are expected to either declare early for the NFL Draft or remain at their current institutions, including Alabama's Keelon Russell and Oklahoma State's Drew Mestemaker.
Another set of quarterbacks recently transferred into new programs and may be reluctant to start over again. That group includes Wake Forest's Gio Lopez, Baylor's DJ Lagway, and Kentucky's Kenny Minchey.
Unless circumstances change, the top quarterbacks potentially on the board could be Memphis's Marcus Stokes, Texas State's Brad Jackson, or NC State's CJ Bailey—solid players, but not the type to dramatically alter a national championship race.
Complicating the landscape further, an astonishing number of teams are seeking a program savior via the transfer portal. Texas A&M and Oklahoma believe they are one quarterback away from returning to the playoff. Indiana and Miami have already ridden transfers to the top. Even Oklahoma State and Notre Dame might explore the market if they lose passers to the NFL.
Of course, a few wild cards remain. Texas quarterback Arch Manning has settled in during the second half of the season, but rumors surfaced that he could explore his options. The same holds for Oregon's Dante Moore, who turned 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 desire a fresh start.
Programs like LSU (Sam Leavitt) and Ohio State (Julian Sayin) will also face difficult decisions regarding quarterback contracts. But after surveying the market, they would be wise not to overthink things.
Ready-made transfers have become a paradigm-shifting resource in the transfer portal era. Eight of the top 10 passers in the country are transfers, including each of the top three. Yet as even developmental programs begin turning to upperclassmen, the pipeline is rapidly drying up. Dozens of fanbases might soon flood the portal market in hopes of finding a program savior, but there simply isn't enough supply to meet the demand.
Key Analysis
The trend of top quarterbacks re-signing with their current schools is creating a severe shortage in the transfer portal, leaving many teams without viable options to address their most critical position. With demand far outstripping supply, programs may need to reevaluate their strategies and develop internal talent rather than relying on quick fixes.
Originally reported by cbssports.