Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson may have seen his college football career come to an end from the bench, a decision that could have big implications on his NFL draft stock.
Simpson was pulled early in the second half of his team’s CFP game against Indiana on Thursday. With Alabama already trailing 24-0, the team benched Simpson in favor of Austin Mack but it did little to slow the Hoosiers as they built a 38-3 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Ty Simpson Could Fall Out of the First Round
Simpson’s draft stock was varying going into the game, with some seeing him as a Top 5 pick and others putting him in the middle of the first round. USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly broke down the projections, with some having Simpson off the board with the Arizona Cardinals at the No. 5 overall pick and others dropping him down to the Miami Dolphins at No. 11.
Simpson’s benching against Indiana could sink him further. Reporter Andrew Jerell Jones noted that Simpson could struggle to go in the first round of the draft after his benching on Thursday underscored the existing questions about his consistency.
“Ty Simpson’s throws his helmet to the ground as his rough Rose Bowl day is over,” Jones wrote in a post on X. “Up and down season for Ty Simpson, with his Sam Darnold-esque ability by a lot of things to improve. Not a lock first round pick at all.”
It was not clear how much an injury played a role in Simpson’s benching on Thursday. The ESPN broadcast cited a hard hit that he took late in the first half, but Yahoo Sports noted that it was also a coach’s decision.
“Alabama starting QB Ty Simpson has been benched as part of a coach’s decision, per the ESPN broadcast,” the outlet noted in a post on X. “Backup QB Austin Mack is now in the game after Simpson briefly went into the injury tent.”
Some Were Already Raising Concerns on Ty Simpson
Simpson’s NFL draft stock may have already been sliding going into Thursday’s game. SI.com’s Jeff Risdon noted that his struggles down the final stretch of the season may have knocked him out of the first round.
“Then came Simpson’s bounce-back performance in Alabama’s comeback playoff win over Oklahoma,” Risdon wrote. “After a slow start, Simpson showed NFL-level poise and accuracy in throwing for two touchdowns and making several impressive reads and throws in leading the victory rally.”
Risdon noted that the strong performance against the Sooners wouldn’t be enough to get Simpson back into the first round.
“With a relatively small sample size to work with, Simpson’s strong skill display against Oklahoma was a big one for his NFL prospects,” Risdon wrote. “The first half of his one season as a starter flashed high-end potential, but the uneven finish makes projecting Simpson into the first round much more of a reach.”
For his part, Simpson had not committed to whether he would declare for the NFL draft or return to college. When asked about his plans at media day this week, Simpson wanted to stay focused on the game ahead of them.
“I haven’t really thought about it much, to be honest with you,” Simpson said, via AL.com. “Just because of the big game coming up.”
Alabama QB Ty Simpson’s NFL Draft Stock Gets Big Update After CFP Benching