Ty Simpson is one of the eligible quarterbacks in the upcoming draft, even being linked to the New York Jets under Aaron Glenn. Kalen DeBoer, his former coach at the Alabama Crimson Tide, is confident he has everything it takes to become a first-round pick in the next NFL Draft.
“I definitely believe he is, he’s just been around it long enough, and he’s made so many great plays, big plays,” DeBoer said. “He can deliver the ball wherever he needs to, you know, down the field.
“Has great football IQ, you know, he’s a coach’s kid. He’s been around the game forever, just, you know, once he won the job, he really cut loose the leadership qualities that he has, and it’s real, it’s genuine.”
Simpson’s final step in Tuscaloosa
In his breakout 2025 campaign as Alabama‘s full-time starter, Ty Simpson established himself as an elite signal-caller, leading the Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record and a College Football Playoff appearance. Simpson displayed exceptional ball security and precision, completing 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only 5 interceptions.
Ty Simpson at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Though his season ended with a tough loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl, his Second-Team All-SEC performance and high-level processing in an NFL-style offense have made him a focal point of the 2026 NFL Draft.
“He took our guys at times, and just really got them to rally around him,” DeBoer said. “He’s got their back. They had his. And so many things that are on the field and off the field that just equate to a guy that, you know, you want in your program leading your team.”
Can Ty Simpson be a first-round pick?
Ty Simpson is projected as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft, typically viewed as a first-round talent or a high second-round pick. Scouts are enamored with his “coach’s son” football IQ, elite arm talent, and ability to process full-field reads, which has led some mock drafts to place him as high as No. 3 overall.
