The season is coming to a close, and the buzz around the draft is picking up. Ty Simpson had become the No. 1 pick favorite after breaking through the shadows overnight. But inconsistent passing and a tough Week 12 have dented those hopes a little. He might still be on track for a lot of good, but not without addressing his big flaws.

“Simpson has gone from completely off the radar in the preseason to in the Round 1 conversation,” ESPN’s Jordan Reid wrote in an analysis of the star QB. “While he has good arm strength and accuracy (66.9% completion percentage), Simpson doesn’t have great size, which could limit his ceiling. He also needs to work on his ball security in the pocket, as he has six fumbles (five lost) this season,” he added.

Simpson is already the talk of the town at Tuscaloosa, but not for the right reasons. The QB being attacked thoroughly by the OU defense has brought forward a lot of glaring problems. It’s caused some chatter about his future, especially his draft hopes. Reid ranked Simpson as his No. 14 on his Top 50 list. Not a lot can be done about his measurable–he stands at a decent 6-2 feet. But there has been a lot of talk about his ball security issues.

Simpson now stands alarmingly tied fifth on the list of QBs with the most fumbles, with his total being 6. He recorded his fifth straight sack-fumble this season in the Oklahoma game–a moment that will haunt Alabama fans for some time.

Simpson tried to create opportunities that just weren’t possible. His decision to hold on to the ball for those extra moments cost Alabama big time. What’s more troubling is that Oklahoma had caught onto this trend. DB Peyton Bowen confirmed that OU strategized around this weakness of Simpson. “Every time he gets sacked, he fumbles the most out of anybody in the country,” he said after the game. Three turnovers from an Alabama offense scrambling to make a difference ended its campaign.

Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer put his QB under fire. “You can only hold on [to the ball] so long and feel like with the blitz they had, you‘re going to overwhelmed and outnumbered. And so you just got to understand the situation.” Plus, Ty Simpson has a serious issue with deep ball throws. The QB is prone to missing targets set at more than 31 yards, per an analysis by CBS Sports.

Simpson, until now, could only land 2 of 15 such attempts. However, the QB is otherwise elite in short and medium yardage passing. It’s a reason why Alabama’s passing attack is so elite, and masks other issues in the offense. A big reason for that is Simpson himself, who will receive the credit due for this aspect. Without a doubt, the QB remains a significantly powerful weapon for franchises to bet on.

But these mistakes have now become unignorable red flags for the QB, who has emerged as one of the best this season. With the NFL teams definitely setting their eyes on him, these numbers ring danger for his future.

Colin Cowherd doesn’t ‘see the traits’ in Ty Simpson

Simpson is still a great QB, there’s no doubt about that. But he still has enough flaws to come under the scanner of draft experts. Colin Cowherd, however, made a pretty serious comment about the QB’s talents.

“I don’t see the traits (in him),” he said in a November 17 episode of the Colin Cowherd Podcast. “I am a trait guy, I don’t care what your record was in college.

“Ty Simpson’s fine, but it’s kind of a JJ McCarthy thing. Surrounded by good players. There’s not a single trait where I’m like, ‘that’s the first round.’ Ty Simpson’s draftable. To me, he feels like a mid-late second round guy,” Cowherd added.

Simpson has one advantage here: the QB class for the 2026 draft has become weak this season. With frontrunners like Arch Manning, Cade Klubnik, and Garrett Nussmeier falling out of the top ranks, Simpson has more room to excel. And that’s why, he has to work on securing this opportunity by improving his ball security issues.

“With the pressure they brought, he’s got to get rid of it, and be OK throwing it away,” Kalen DeBoer said after that haunting loss. This flaw of Ty Simpson has become so noticeable that it just can’t be swept under the rug. He still has a chance to work on them here, before harsher results come for him in the draft.