Alabama QB Ty Simpson arrives at the Combine with franchise-leading confidence, backed by elite preparation and a game-ready skillset. NFL teams are noticing.
All eyes in Indianapolis this week have quietly shifted toward one player wearing Alabama crimson just a few months ago, quarterback Ty Simpson. While some prospects arrive at the NFL Combine hoping simply to improve their draft stock, Simpson showed up with a different mindset entirely.
He didn’t come to blend in.
He came to make it clear that he believes he can lead an NFL franchise.
And honestly, that confidence shouldn’t surprise anyone who has followed Alabama football.
Simpson is currently projected somewhere in the late first round, but the buzz around him is growing by the hour. Multiple quarterback-needy teams, including the Pittsburgh Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and New York Jets, have reportedly spent significant time evaluating him. When franchises start circling like that, it usually means they see more than just potential. They see a future starter.
Former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky added fuel to the conversation this week, noting that Simpson’s film, particularly during the first half of the season, stacks up extremely well against other quarterbacks in the class. That kind of praise doesn’t come easily from someone who watches quarterback tape for a living.
But Simpson himself didn’t lean on hype or outside opinions. He leaned on preparation, specifically the kind of preparation that only comes from surviving the gauntlet that is Alabama football.
He made it clear that he believes his time in Tuscaloosa has already prepared him for the next level. And it’s hard to argue with that.
At Alabama, practices often feel like NFL games.
Every rep is against elite talent. Every mistake gets magnified.
Every success has to be earned.
Simpson pointed to the long list of future pros he battled in practice, players like Will Anderson Jr., Henry To’o’To’o, and Kool-Aid McKinstry, as proof that he has already faced NFL-caliber competition. When your daily workload includes defenders who are now starting on Sundays, the transition doesn’t feel quite as overwhelming.
More than anything, Simpson emphasized that Alabama’s structure mirrors the professional level. From coaching to expectations to the sheer pressure of performing in front of millions every Saturday, there is no hiding at a place like Alabama.
And that may ultimately be his biggest advantage.
Simpson isn’t walking into the NFL hoping to figure things out. He believes he has already been trained for it, shaped by Nick Saban’s standard, refined under Kalen DeBoer’s offense, and battle-tested in the most demanding environment in college football.
Now the question isn’t whether he believes he can be a franchise quarterback.
It’s whether an NFL team is ready to believe it too.
If history tells us anything about quarterbacks forged in Tuscaloosa, it won’t take long.
Roll Tide.