Mississippi State quarterback Kamario Taylor is quickly becoming one of college football’s breakout names. Dave Portnoy apparently wants Brandon Walker to remember that success can come with a price in the transfer portal era.
The Barstool Sports founder and prominent Michigan superfan took some playful shots at Walker, a Mississippi State graduate and diehard Bulldogs supporter, while discussing Taylor’s emergence. Portnoy made it clear he remains happy with Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, but that did not stop him from joking about just how much damage his financial backing could theoretically do to somebody else’s roster.
“Either way, I can take your QB at the snap of my fingers, but I’m happy with mine,” Portnoy said. “And if you don’t watch yourself, I will spite take him, whether it’s my money or someone else’s money. I can pick and choose anybody from your roster I want. Just know when you put your head on your pillow, I own your roster.”
Dave Portnoy Coins New College Football Term
Portnoy essentially described the concept as “spite stealing,” an appropriately absurd phrase for the current state of college football.
There is no indication Portnoy or Michigan has actually pursued Taylor, and the exchange was delivered in the exaggerated style that has become a staple of Barstool programming. The joke works, however, because Portnoy has previously made his willingness to financially support Michigan football very public. In 2024, he offered to help fund a multimillion-dollar NIL push to ensure the Wolverines could land elite quarterbacks.
Taylor is also making himself an increasingly valuable target in a hypothetical conversation like this one. The Mississippi State quarterback completed 16 of 22 passes for 227 yards and three touchdowns against Minnesota while adding 86 rushing yards. Through two games, he ranked fourth nationally in total offense at 363 yards per game and had already accounted for eight touchdowns.
Kamario Taylor Hype Continues to Grow at Mississippi State
Walker is hardly alone in believing Mississippi State has something special. Former Alabama coach Nick Saban praised Taylor during the season, calling him “the truth and the light” and later identifying him as one of college football’s best-kept secrets. Taylor’s early performances have done little to quiet that hype.
That made him a perfect target for Portnoy’s trolling. Michigan already has Underwood, one of the most prominent young quarterbacks in the sport, and Portnoy reiterated that he believes in what the Wolverines have at the position. His message to Walker was essentially that it does not matter.
Welcome to modern college football, where a fan can celebrate his quarterback’s breakout performance and immediately hear a rival with deep pockets joking that he can take him away. Portnoy may have just found the perfect phrase for it: spite stealing. Oh, what a time to be a fan of the wonderful game of college football.
Michigan Superfan Dave Portnoy Threatens to ‘Spite Steal’ Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor