Kirk Herbstreit isn’t buying into the current late-season hype when it comes to the nation’s top quarterback.
During an appearance on Monday’s Pat McAfee Show, the longtime ESPN College Football voice named Alabama’s Ty Simpson as his current QB1 for NFL Draft purposes, praising his ability to process and distribute the football rather than relying on raw tools.
“To answer your question, I would say Ty Simpson,” Herbstreit said. “He’s not sexy. He’s not going to go to the combine and have people saying, ‘Look at this guy!’ But he seems to have that ability to read coverage, process and get the ball out.”
“Ty Simpson. … He seems to be a guy that has the ability to read, recognize coverage, process ball out.”@kirkherbstreit weighs in on who he thinks is the potential top NFL draft QB prospect 👀
(via @PatMcAfeeShow) pic.twitter.com/lhcJehBYxF
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) November 10, 2025
Simpson has quietly guided Alabama through a grueling SEC schedule while the Tide remains undefeated and in the thick of the playoff mix. Herbstreit contrasted his choice with preseason favorites like Arch Manning, Drew Allar and LaNorris Sellers, noting that on-field results often tell a different story than scouting projections.
“(Simpson) can move around just enough to be dangerous,” Herbstreit added. “But he’s not that 6-foot-4, 240-pound guy everyone drools over.”
McAfee agreed with the assessment, saying Simpson’s leadership stands out inside Alabama’s locker room. The Tide quarterback also remains in the Heisman Trophy race, trailing Big Ten standouts Julian Sayin and Fernando Mendoza but firmly among top passers.
As the final weeks get marked off the calendar, we’ll see if Alabama’s run continues after the Florida State loss. Simpson is the one leading the charge to keep them afloat.
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