If there was any doubt that the landscape of college football has changed, just ask former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Simpson initially declared for the 2026 NFL Draft following the Crimson Tide’s season-ending loss to Indiana in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal of the College Football Playoff.
However, Simpson did not submit his official paperwork until January 13 — one day before the deadline for underclassmen to enter the draft.
So why the delay? Simpson was being heavily courted by programs making massive NIL offers to keep him in college, including Miami, Tennessee and Ole Miss.
Those offers gave the 23-year-old pause as he weighed whether to chase his NFL dream or return to college for another season.
“And while nothing was in writing, Simpson remembers Sunday being a blur,” On3’s Chris Low wrote. “He was supposed to go duck hunting after church, but couldn’t do it.
“‘I had a knot in my stomach,’ Simpson said. ‘I didn’t know what to do.’”
Miami Made Massive Offer to Lure Ty Simpson
It’s easy to understand why Simpson was torn. The money being offered would make anyone reconsider.
Miami, Tennessee and Ole Miss each presented offers in the $4 million range, with Tennessee’s potentially reaching $5 million, according to Low. Miami, however, attempted to separate itself by offering $6.5 million.
“I really felt good with my decision to go pro, but that amount of money to play college football again for what amounts to about eight months makes you stop and think,” Simpson said. “I remember my parents telling me that $6 million was more than they had made the whole time they had been married, but the thing they wanted most for me was to be happy.”
Miami’s aggressive pursuit came amid growing desperation at quarterback after missing on Brendan Sorsby, who transferred to Texas Tech, and Sam Leavitt, who landed at LSU.
“Miami was kind of like, ‘All right, we’re moving on,’ and then they lost out on Sam Leavitt and came back with that big number,” Simpson said. “And then Ole Miss called again and said they could match it.”
As of now, both Miami and Tennessee have yet to land a quarterback from the transfer portal for the 2026 season, with options growing increasingly thin as top prospects commit elsewhere.
Ty Simpson Sought Advice From Nick Saban
Facing one of the biggest decisions of his life, Simpson turned to his former head coach, Nick Saban, for guidance.
Saban offered a simple but pointed perspective, encouraging Simpson to remove money from the equation entirely.
“Take the money out of it,” Simpson said Saban told him. “If everybody was offering you zero dollars, what would you want to do? Would you want to come back and play college ball, or would you want to go play NFL ball?”
That advice settled the decision.
Simpson will now head to the NFL Draft in April, where he is expected to be among the top quarterback prospects.