Alabama QB Ty Simpson Intends to Declare for NFL Draft

He’s the projected third-ranked quarterback for the 2026 draft.

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson intends to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. / Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

After four seasons at Alabama, and one season as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback, Ty Simpson has revealed to the team that he plans to enter the NFL draft, ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported on Wednesday.

Alabama is coming off an extremely disappointing College Football Playoff performance in which they lost 38–3 to Indiana in the Rose Bowl. Simpson was benched during the game, effectively ending his college football career there.

In Sports Illustrated’s Daniel Flick’s recent mock draft, he had the Steelers selecting Simpson with the No. 20 pick. Pittsburgh could be in the market for a new starting quarterback if Aaron Rodgers chooses to retire. Even if Rodgers remains for another season, the veteran quarterback could mentor Simpson for a year.

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Simpson is the projected third-ranked quarterback for the 2026 NFL draft. He will likely sit behind Indiana's Fernando Mendoza and Oregon's Dante Moore, who are both still in the CFP and have not declared.

During the 2025 season, Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns and five interceptions. He led the Crimson Tide to an 11–4 overall record.

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