The Alabama Crimson Tide is undergoing yet another significant change to its program for the 2026 season, as quarterback Ty Simpson has announced that he is entering the 2026 NFL Draft.
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is heading to the NFL Draft.
College football senior writer for ESPN, Pete Thamel reported early on Wednesday morning that Simpson informed coach Kalen DeBoer that he was turning pro.
It’s a move that some expected, some did not.
Given Simpson’s second half struggles this season, it gave Alabama fans an inkling of hope that he may return for a second season at the helm.
However, Simpson’s struggles weren’t a result of poor play, but of playing through injuries that hampered him down the stretch.
After the Rose Bowl, where Alabama got blown out 38-3 by Indiana, Collin Gay of Tuscaloosa News reported that Simpson had dealt with a nagging lower back issue that he suffered in Week 9 against South Carolina.
The same game that triggered his late season struggles.
From there he dealt with elbow bursitis in his throwing arm, followed by a broken rib that he had suffered in the Rose Bowl.
When Simpson is on his game, it’s hard to find a better quarterback. He was well on his way to having one of the best seasons we’ve seen in college football, at one point only recording one interception and 20 passing touchdowns for a 73% completion rate.
Early NFL mock draft projections vary widely, with Simpson appearing anywhere from the top half of the first round to the second.
The Draft is truly a crap shoot. There’s no real way to determine how a team feels about a prospect until they actually sit down with him and learn about how he sees the game.
One has to believe, it won’t be hard for a team to fall in love with his approach.
As a coach's son, Simpson has shown to be coachable. He waited his turn as a former five-star recruit, turning down offers to leave Tuscaloosa and to be a starter elsewhere, and it ended up paying off, helping the Tide reach not just the SEC Championship, but to make the playoffs (and winning a game).
He wore the ‘A’ with pride and understood the importance that football meant in the state of Alabama, and now he gets to be a flag bearer for the program that helped him grow into an NFL prospect.
So what does this mean for the Tide for next season?
Many fans will likely want to see five-star recruit Keelon Russell get the nod, however, it may not be that easy.
Austin Mack is going to receive every opportunity to be the starter for the 2026 season, and there’s no reason to suggest otherwise.
During the UL-Monroe game, DeBoer made it known that he was going to give all of his quarterbacks an opportunity to play, and Mack was the first one to come in. Then Russell.
After Simpson broke his rib and couldn’t play in the Rose Bowl anymore, Mack came in relief.
Mack is still a quality player. He’s poised in the pocket, throws the ball with purpose, his spiral is tight, and is quite accurate.
Regardless, the position won’t be handed to anyone.
Both Russell and Mack will duke it out for the starting job, and we’ll have ourselves a good ol’ competition in the spring, and possibly into fall camp.
There’s been a lot of change within this program in the past two seasons, something Gump Nation isn’t very familiar with.
But with a true competition at quarterback, it sets the stage for one of the most competitive quarterback battles Alabama has had in years.