Colin Cowherd takes a shot at top college football quarterback who 'has no juice'

After receiving a ton of preseason hype, the quarterback class for the 2026 NFL Draft has been largely underwhelming. This has opened the door for some dark-horse prospects to spark a debate about who is the best quarterback in this year's draft class.

Two of the most popular names are South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers and Alabama's Ty Simpson. Coincidentally, these two prospects faced off last weekend, with Simpson leading the Crimson Tide to a 29-22 victory on the road.

Despite trailing 22-14 late in the fourth quarter, Simpson led Alabama on back-to-back scoring drives, including a 5-play, 38-yard game-winning drive to put the game away with 34 seconds remaining.

On The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Cowherd shared his thoughts on whether Sellers or Simpson was the better NFL prospect with special guest Joel Klatt. He even took a bit of a shot when naming his preference, saying that one prospect lacked 'the juice' to be the No. 1 quarterback in the class.

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (15) | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

"Last week, I watched Alabama and South Carolina play," Cowherd said. "And though it was in a losing cause, I think I'd draft the South Carolina quarterback first because I see juice. I've always said this about quarterback play, when I watch a college guy, you've got to give me one 'wow' trait. I've got to go 'Wow.'"

Klatt immediately interrupted, saying, "Wrong... You're wrong again."

This did not stop Cowherd, who continued to make the case that Simpson "had no juice."

Even with Cowherd's claim, Simpson has been the catalyst behind Alabama's seven-game winning streak. He leads the SEC in pass completions (177), passing touchdowns (20), and adjusted passing yards per attempt (9.7). He also ranks No. 9 nationally with 2,184 passing yards and No. 6 nationally in passing touchdowns.

Klatt pushed back on Cowherd's assessment, noting how outstanding Simpson has played for the Crimson Tide, highlighting Simpson's ability to control the game.

"Has no juice? Watch his intermediate throws," Klatt said. "Watch him control the game from the pocket. Colin, who wins Super Bowls? Guys that control the game from the pocket. Control the game. Now, you have to do those things first. This is, and I bring this up all the time, this is math. You've got to have Algebra I under your belt before you can go to Algebra II and then Calculus and do all that."

Simpson and the Crimson Tide will enjoy a much-needed bye week this weekend. Alabama will return to action next Saturday as the Crimson Tide hosts LSU for a highly anticipated SEC matchup.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT on ABC.