With college football playoff finals a week away, players smell the roses and eye the next level. But just when Alabama’s QB Ty Simpson and Oregon’s QB Dante Moore thought of going all out, Kirk Herbstreit hit them with a tough reality check.

“I personally think Ty Simpson is not ready to go to the NFL,” analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on the ESPN College Football podcast. “I think he could use another year of seasoning, a much greater opportunity to grow wherever he is. I just think Dante Moore needs the same thing.

I think at that position, you need reps, reps, reps, reps. Sitting under a Matthew Stafford or whoever, an established guy in the NFL, you’re going to learn in the meetings, but you’re going to learn, and you’re going to get mental reps.”

Ty Simpson took a risky bet by declaring for the NFL draft, as he has started in only 15 games so far in college football. With one year of eligibility left, Simpson could have added some more reps to his resume to make an impact in front of NFL teams.

Even history tells the same story as QB: fewer than 15 college starts rarely go in the first round. Since 2010, only a handful of passers, including Mitch Trubisky, Dwayne Haskins, Anthony Richardson, and Cam Newton, have entered the pro league with such limited resumes.

Among them, even Newton gave elite production with his inexperience. Now, Ty Simpson does have key skills that set him apart. He is a true pocket passer who mirrors traits seen in Mac Jones at Alabama, but there are limitations, too, as his production lags behind peers like Fernando Mendoza. On top of it, players like Marcel Reed and Rocco Becht decided to return for the 2026 season to build a strong resume, something that even Simpson should have considered.

Even in a short span, Simpson did build a strong resume, completing 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards with 28 touchdowns with just five interceptions in the 2025 season. He still sits behind Mendoza and Dante Moore in projections and is slotted to go 29th overall to the Los Angeles Rams, where he would have to sit behind Matthew Stafford. So, wouldn’t spending an extra year at college to build a strong resume have made sense?

The concern is the same for Dante Moore, too. Although he delivered one of the most efficient seasons last year, taking Oregon to 13-2, completing 72.9% of passes with a 166.73 passer rating, he still has just 15 starts at Oregon and five more as a true freshman at UCLA, which pushes him down the first-round quarterback.

Now, looking from a draft stock perspective, Moore does have elite accuracy and command, because of which many evaluators put him at No. 1 or No. 2 quarterback available, trailing behind Mendoza.

Mock drafts often connect him with the New York Jets, who hold the No. 2 overall selection. With injuries to Tyrod Taylor and Justin Fields, Moore might even have the chance, but betting on a quarterback with fewer stars might be a risky gamble for the team.

Back in 2017, the Chicago Bears traded up to the 2nd pick to select Mitch Trubisky, bypassing players like Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. That turned out to be the worst decision for them, as Trubisky, who just started in 13 games at North Carolina, never turned into a franchise QB and handled the pressure. That’s exactly why Kirk Herbstreit is warning both Moore and Simpson.

To make sure Simpson’s future doesn’t take hit a team is already offering him to return to college.

Ty Simpson gets a $6.5 million offer to return college

As the college football playoff spotlight intensifies, Alabama’s Ty Simpson finds himself in a weird spot. Multiple programs are trying to get Simpson back to college, and one of the top teams among them is the Miami Hurricanes. According to reports, they have offered him a staggering $6.5 million to lure Simpson back for the 2026 college season.

Now, Simpson declared for the draft last week but has not completed any official paperwork, although he accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl and has not entered the transfer portal as of Monday afternoon, which further reduces his chances of returning.

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Miami’s urgency makes sense, as after Carson Beck’s move to the NFL, they need an experienced player who can step up and take them to an all-new championship season in 2026. Along with Miami, even Ole Miss and Tennessee offered him $4 million each.

Now, it will be interesting to see if Simpson stays for experience and makes an impact or turns pro and waits for his chance.