The Alabama Crimson Tide saw their season come to a disappointing end, getting blown out by the Indiana Hoosiers by a final score of 38-3.
Quickly after the end of the year, starting quarterback Ty Simpson made the decision to enter his name into the 2026 NFL Draft. However, that was just the start of the drama surrounding him.
After he chose to enter the draft, other teams around the country started trying to convince him to come back to college for one more season. Among those teams were the Miami Hurricanes and Ole Miss Rebels.
Simpson decided to stick with his dream of playing in the NFL. He’ll be one of the top quarterback options for the 2026 draft.
Following his decision to remain in the draft, college football analyst Joel Klatt took some time to call out a huge issue with the NCAA rules. He believes that other teams calling Simpson and offering him up to $6.5 million in NIL money should have been tampering.
“Wait, how is he getting offers if he’s not in the transfer portal?” Klatt said. “Like, isn’t that tampering?”
More from @joelklatt on the tampering problem in college football, and how it has failed to be addressed. Thoughts?
Truthfully, it’s hard to argue against Klatt. Simpson had not entered the transfer portal. Other teams should not be able to come calling.
Ty Simpson Put Together an Impressive Final Season at Alabama
It’s no surprise that teams around the nation were interested in bringing Simpson onboard. During the 2025 college football season, he put on a show with the Crimson Tide.
Simpson completed 64.5 percent of his pass attempts for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He also chipped in with 93 yards and two more touchdowns on the ground.
At one point in the year, Simpson was being talked about as a top-tier Heisman Trophy candidate.
Heading into the NFL Draft, Simpson could end up being a top-10 pick. His case for that was improved when Oregon signal caller Dante Moore decided to return to the Ducks for the 2026 season.
No one can predict the future, but Simpson’s future does look incredibly bright. Deciding to opt against returning to college has a good chance of working out in his favor.
What’s Next for the Crimson Tide at the Quarterback Position?
Regardless of what Simpson decided to choose on playing for another college program or entering the NFL Draft, Alabama has a great future at quarterback.
Both Austin Mack and Keelon Russell have decided to return to Tuscaloosa for the 2026 season. They will battle with each other for the starting job.
Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide are also considered a clear landing spot for 2027 five-star quarterback Elijah Haven. He isn’t going to have a shortage of quarterback talent for quite some time.
Mack has played sparingly in his two years with Alabama. He has completed 26 of his 35 career passes for 267 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions.
As for Russell, he has completed 11 of his 15 passes in one year with the Crimson Tide, racking up 143 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions.
There is no guarantee that either of the two will develop into being star caliber college quarterbacks, but Alabama should be feeling confident about the future without Simpson.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson Facing Controversy After NFL Draft Decision