After going more than 40 years without producing a first-round draft pick at quarterback, Alabama has now had first-round picks at QB in three of the last six NFL drafts.
Now, it’s realistic that there may soon be another Crimson Tide first-round quarterback.
After not being on the radar as a 2026 draft prospect for many (or any) NFL personnel staffers entering the season, three NFL personnel sources told CBS Sports this week that Ty Simpson has now emerged as a legitimate possibility to be a 2026 first-round draft pick despite the redshirt junior being just seven games into his first season as Alabama’s starting quarterback.
“Been really impressed with him since the Florida State game (Week 1),” an NFL scouting source said. “Great ball placement and decision-making in critical situations. He’s playing better than any QB in the country right now.”
While NFL personnel officials always have reservations regarding one-year starters at quarterback, multiple scouts mentioned that Simpson — whose dad is a college head coach at UT-Martin — is more advanced than the typical first-year starter.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Simpson is one of just two Power Four QBs with at least 14 touchdown passes and fewer than two interceptions.
His totals: 18 touchdown passes, two additional rushing touchdowns and only one interception. He leads the SEC in passer rating and ranks second in the conference with an average of 275 passing yards per game.
“He’s throwing balls into tight windows,” an NFL scout said. “He’s putting the ball with excellent placement outside on the sideline, on out throws and high in the end zone where nobody can get them but his receiver. So he’s placing the ball. He’s throwing it quickly with quick decisions, throwing with zip and with NFL-type arm talent. At the worst, you’ve got a really smart kid whose dad is a coach who could be a game manager. At best though, he’s only a one-year starter with upside who could really start to figure out how to spread the ball around and pick people apart, and he’s already doing that pretty well now.”
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Thomas Casale
Led by Simpson, Alabama’s offense produced four touchdowns in a 37-20 win over No. 11 Tennessee last week that improved the Tide to 6-1 overall and 4-0 in the SEC.
Before Tennessee, he had three touchdown passes in a 27-24 victory over No. 14 Missouri, 340 yards and two touchdown passes during a 30-14 win over No. 16 Vanderbilt and three touchdowns in a 24-21 victory over No. 5 Georgia.
“Just finished a Vandy trip and was going through their defense vs. Ty and he was cooking,” an NFL scout said. “One of best I’ve seen so far (at that position). More consistent than most.”
Making it more interesting with Simpson is that the quarterbacks that most NFL personnel staffers were highest on as 2026 draft prospects entering the season — players like LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers — have seen their stock dip as draft prospects. That’s contributed to this being one of the most wide-open quarterback classes in recent years, which could benefit someone like Simpson.
At this point, some of the QBs garnering the most buzz among NFL personnel staffers are Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, Simpson and Oregon redshirt sophomore Dante Moore.
QBs getting Heisman buzz
| Player | Team | Record | Total Yards | Total TD | Turnovers | Key Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza | IND | 7-0 | 1,906 | 23 | 2 | T-most pass TD (21) & highest pass efficiency (191.0) in FBS this season. Last 4 home games: 14 incompletions, 18 pass TD, 0 INT. |
| Ty Simpson | ALA | 6-1 | 1,997 | 20 | 2 | 200+ pass yds & 2+ pass TD in all 7 games (including 4 straight ranked wins). |
| Julian Sayin | OSU | 7-0 | 1,889 | 19 | 3 | 2nd FBS QB since 2000 with 80% comp pct during 7-0 start (2008 Colt McCoy). |
| Gunner Stockton | UGA | 6-1 | 1,832 | 17 | 2 | In 2 ranked wins vs TENN/MISS: 690 total yards, 8 total TD, 0 TO. |
| Diego Pavia | VANDY | 6-1 | 2,007 | 19 | 5 | Only FBS QB with 6+ wins, 70% comp pct & 2,000+ total yards this season. |
Yet, even with those three, there are still some questions among NFL personnel staffers. That includes one high level front office staffer who isn’t yet all-in regarding Simpson.
“He’s playing well but has only started seven games and couldn’t beat out Milroe (last year), so I’m inclined to pump the brakes here a little when I see people saying he’s QB1 for this next draft,” that front office official said. “I think even the scouts who liked him in August were thinking fourth to fifth round, not top five in the first. … Simpson is standing out partly because the QB and offensive line play is so atrocious across the country that any efficiency at all looks super impressive … and he’s been so efficient compared to what all of us are watching each week.”
Nevertheless, the other three personnel staffers that CBS Sports spoke to this week were in agreement that Simpson, if he continues playing at this current level and if he decides to leave for the NFL, will be in position to be one of the top quarterbacks selected in next year’s draft. The salary range for a first-round pick in 2025 was $12.2 million (for pick No. 1) to $3.6 million (for pick No. 32), not including the signing bonus. In comparison, the high-end of college quarterbacks financially are making about $3-4 million. Others, like several current Power 4 starters who were transfer additions this offseason, are making in the $1.5 to $2 million range.
“He’s been really impressive for a first-year starter and he runs an NFL-style offense and you can see him changing plays and protections and doing things at a high level that other college guys don’t do,” an NFL scout said. “And then he’s also still playing very efficiently and making a lot of hard, tough throws very productively.
“So you add all those things together and he’s really come on the scene quickly but rising to one of the top quarterbacks in college football for sure.”
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