Chris Jones pledges to donate to Mississippi State NIL to help retain QB Kamario Taylor

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Mississippi State sophomore quarterback Kamario Taylor is the talk of the college football world amid the Bulldogs’ strong 3-0 start to the 2026 season. He’s even caught the attention of several notable alumni.

That includes Kansas City Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones, who is pledging to do whatever it takes to keep Taylor in Starkville amid speculation the dual-threat talent will be a hot commodity in the transfer portal next January. That includes making a significant donation to his alma mater’s NIL budget.

“I’m going to donate some (NIL), though, we’ve got to keep this quarterback — we’ve got to keep him around,” Jones told reporters Thursday in Kansas City. “With all these NIL teams spending $45-50 million a year, the salary cap doesn’t exist in college, so definitely trying to keep our quarterback with us.”

The 6-foot-4, 230-pound Taylor has taken the SEC and college football by storm in his first season as the Bulldogs’ starter, including propelling Mississippi State into the Top 25 in both national polls. Taylor currently leads the SEC with 1,010 total yards (336.7 ypg) and 11 passing touchdowns while also ranking second with 832 passing yards, behind only Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss. 

“I think we have one of the best the FBS right now, he’s doing really, really well for us, and he’s young,” Jones added. “We just have to keep him on our roster, because the NIL has changed everything. … Definitely believe in our guys, got a lot of belief in Mississippi State right now and KT.”

Taylor and the No. 24-ranked Bulldogs (3-0, 1-0) enter Saturday night’s Top 25 showdown vs. No. 19 Missouri (3-0) fresh off a thrilling 41-34 come-from-behind victory last week at South Carolina. Taylor accounted for 284 total yards and four passing touchdowns, sparking Mississippi State’s rally from an early 16-0 deficit to take a 28-23 lead midway through the third quarter on his fourth passing score.

This report will be updated.

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