Kirk Herbstreit shares opinion on Ty Simpson ahead of 2026 NFL Draft

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Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson may be one of the most polarizing players ahead of the 2026 NFL draft.

Simpson started the season as something of an underdog, or perhaps a wild card prospect ahead of the season. Then, at one point, he emerged as one of the best players in college football, with some going so far as to project him as a top-5 selection.

But now, he's experienced a dip in multiple mock drafts and some are questioning if he should declare at all. In a recent appearance at a Raising Cane's event in Nashville, Tennessee where he worked a "shift" with his dog, Peter, college football analyst gave his opinion on Simpson.

"Ty Simpson at Alabama, there are people saying he should go (to the 2026 NFL draft)," Herbstreit said. "I think Ty Simpson needs to come back another year of being a quarterback at Alabama. Dealing with that pressure of being that quarterback, and then, next year at this time, 'boy, Ty Simpson.' What a great player he could potentially be."

In addition top giving his thoughts on players like Simpson, Herbstreit was the face of Raising Cane’s Football Campaign, which ran this August through November to align with college football season, appearing across in-Restaurant displays including standees, ad spots and social campaigns across the country.

Herbstreit went on to say that it was a tough year for the Jets and all other quarterback-needy teams to be picking a quarterback due to the lack of signal-callers who appear to be ready to take the field and start Day 1.

As he prepares to take the field for the Crimson Tide in the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma, Simpson finishes out the season with a 64.3% completion rate, 26 passing touchdowns and five interceptions. He also had 96 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.

Those numbers aren't bad, but Simpson drew a large deal of concern after his subpar performance in the SEC Championship Game, completing just 48.7% of his passing attempts for 212 yards with one touchdown and one interception. His decision-making in particular looked off, with many questioning if something was wrong with Simpson physically during the game, or if he was simply that limited by a valiant defensive effort by Georgia.

It will be interesting to see if Simpson ultimately does declare for the draft and how that process ultimately shakes out as multiple players across the country continue to make their decisions.

For now, Simpson will have a chance to raise his stock — or further drop it — as Alabama looks to win a national championship.

This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: Ty Simpson draft stock: Kirk Herbstreit weighs in

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