Hoosiers Now

Indiana Football Offers Younger Brother of Ex Alabama QB Ty Simpson: What It Means

Indiana offered a pair of recruits in the last seven days, including linebacker Ty Ashley and quarterback Graham Simpson, who happens to be the younger brother of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Jared Shlensky|
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti smiles at the champions press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 20. 2026.
Indiana Head Coach Curt Cignetti smiles at the champions press conference on Tuesday, Jan. 20. 2026. | Rich Janzaruk/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Indiana Hoosiers

Could the future quarterback of the Indiana Hoosiers be the younger brother of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson? Maybe. The Hoosiers offered Simpson's brother, Graham Simpson, last week, and linebacker Ty Ashley on Friday.

Graham Simpson, Quarterback (Westview High School)

Graham Simpson's older brother, Ty, led Alabama to the College Football Playoff and is a potential first-round pick in the NFL Draft, and it looks like the apple doesn't lay too far from the tree.

Graham Simpson is just a sophomore and the starting quarterback at Westview High School in Tennessee. Simpson led Westview to a perfect 14-0 record and a State Championship after throwing for over 2,000 yards (2,091) and 24 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions.

Both of IU's quarterbacks under Cignetti -- Kurtis Rourke and Fernando Mendoza -- found their way to Bloomington via the transfer portal, and it looks like that will be the case come the fall after the Hoosiers landed TCU transfer Josh Hoover via the portal. But after next year, who knows? Maybe a high school signee will finally start for Indiana.

And Simpson makes a lot of sense. He's a little short for a quarterback at 5-foot-11, but he's insanely accurate -- completed 75% of his passes this year -- and all the top college programs are after him. The three-star recruit has 23 offers and is the eighth-ranked quarterback in the nation, per 247 Sports.

Outside of being undersized for a quarterback, Simpson isn't the most athletic ever. However, he's deadly from the pocket and has excellent touch and deep ball accuracy.

Indiana's chances of landing Simpson probably aren't too high, but you can't fault the Hoosiers for trying. Maybe another national title or two could sway the youngster's mind; otherwise, don't be surprised if Indiana only sees Simpson when they're playing against him.

Ty Ashley, Linebacker (Owensboro High School)

Ashley wasn't the biggest name on the recruiting scene at the start of the high school season, but that quickly changed after the junior linebacker led Owensboro to the Kentucky Class 5A State Title.

The 6-foot-2, 200-pound inside linebacker finished the year with 148 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, four interceptions, and four fumble recoveries, and college programs are taking notice. Ashley has 15 offers, per 247 Sports, with IU being his most recent.

Ashley is a little light for your prototypical inside linebacker, but ultimately, I expect him to fill out and play the traditional "mike" linebacker position in college. Ashley might have to wait a year or two before he sees the field consistently on defense, but with his speed, instincts, and strong tackling skills, expect the Kentucky native to play right away on special teams.

And don't forget to buy the SI Indiana National Championship Cover.

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Jared Shlensky
JARED SHLENSKY

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