Draft-bound Ty Simpson: New school would have hurt Bama legacy

Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson said he is “absolutely” content with entering the NFL draft, adding it would “tarnish my legacy” to stay in college and play for another school.

“There is no doubt in my mind that the last jersey I wanted to wear in college was the Alabama Crimson Tide jersey,” Simpson told AL.com on Wednesday. “I came there. I stayed there.”

Simpson declared for the draft Jan. 7. At the time, he was considered the No. 3 draft-eligible quarterback by ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. but has since moved up to No. 2 after Oregon’s Dante Moore decided to return to the Ducks.

Simpson’s father, UT Martin football coach Jason Simpson, had told ESPN when his son declared that there were offers to transfer to other Power 4 schools. Sources had told ESPN that Miami, Oregon and Tennessee were interested in signing Simpson if he entered the transfer portal.

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But Ty Simpson indicated he never seriously considered playing for any school besides Alabama.

“The last thing I wanted to do was tarnish my legacy and go somewhere else where I didn’t go out of high school and I didn’t want to play,” he said. “… Hopefully in the draft whenever my name gets written on a card, they write the University of Alabama on there. It’s going to give me great pride.”

Simpson is listed as the No. 25 draft prospect on Kiper’s Big Board, and Jason Simpson said his son received a first-round grade from every NFL general manager they contacted.

Ty Simpson completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns and five interceptions in 2025, leading the No. 9 Crimson Tide to an 11-4 record and a quarterfinal appearance in the College Football Playoff.

“It means a lot to me to be able to show my kids when they’re older to come back and say their dad played here and was a captain,” Simpson told AL.com of his time at Alabama.

Information from ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Pete Thamel was used in this report.