Nobody outside Fernando Mendoza had a bigger stock rise last season than Alabama’s Ty Simpson. After leading the Crimson Tide to an 11–4 season and a playoff run in his lone season as a starter, he briefly emerged as one of the top prospects in this year’s transfer portal. Most analysts assumed he would return for another year of college football, but he surprised many by declaring for the draft earlier this January. However, he later revealed that the Miami Hurricanes made him an offer that forced him to seriously consider entering the portal. The catch is that the decision could backfire.

“I think the last offer was definitely one that I just had to sit down and consider, because it would have been life-changing money,” the former Bama QB said on the See Ball Get Ball podcast. “It would have made me the highest-paid player in college, and it was something to where I was like, ‘I can’t just ignore this. I have to sit down and think about it.’

“That’s how I am. I don’t want to do anything sporadic. I want to sit down and think it all out, and it really just came down to how I wanted to be remembered and what I want to do.”

Mario Cristobal’s Miami was coming off a national championship loss. The Hurricanes were pretty much stacked in every position except for the QB department for the next season. Since Carson Beck ran out of his eligibility, the Canes were desperate for an S-tier gunslinger, and they were ready to pay premium money. So apparently, they shelled out $6.5 million worth of green to lure Ty Simpson to suit up for the Green and Orange.

To put it in perspective, nobody in college athletics makes that much on-paper NIL money, not even Arch Manning. $6.5 million is generational money. He could be set for life even if the football dream (God forbid) doesn’t work out.

As tempting as it was to sign and secure the bag, Simpson turned to Nick Saban’s advice on whether he should pursue this or just declare for the draft.

“I actually talked to Coach Saban about this,” Simpson said. “The things he was talking about were: ‘Do you want to play football in college, or do you want to play football professionally?’ He was like, ‘Take the money out of it, take the rounds out of it, what do you want to do next year?’ And without a doubt, without hesitation, I said, ‘I want to play professional football.’ And he was like, ‘Well, there’s your answer.’”

It may appear honorable, but financially, Simpson’s choice also comes with some risk. According to Spotrac, he would need to be picked within the top 35 selections in the draft for his rookie contract to match or exceed the major NIL offer he received from Miami. Once drafted, he is expected to sign a standard four-year rookie deal that includes a signing bonus. That should put him above the $6.5 million bracket.

Meanwhile, Miami Hurricanes football moved in a different direction. They lawyered up and made a strong push for former Duke Blue Devils gunslinger Darian Mensah for $3–5 million after a legal settlement. Now the real question comes: can Ty Simpson make his decision worthwhile and get selected within the top 35 overall picks?

Where does Ty Simpson stand now?

Ty Simpson is easily viewed as the second-best quarterback in this year’s draft class, just behind Fernando Mendoza. Even though the top of the draft doesn’t have many teams desperate for a quarterback, the Las Vegas Raiders and Cleveland Browns are seen as possible fits. Cleveland, which has picks No. 6 and No. 24, has been linked to Simpson in multiple mock drafts.

Some analysts, including Pete Prisco, project Simpson going late in the first round, possibly to Cleveland at No. 24. Others also believe he will sneak into the first round. The Pittsburgh Steelers have also been mentioned as a potential destination. Betting odds currently favor teams like the Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and Los Angeles Rams to land him at some point in the draft, even if it’s not on the first day.

Simpson impressed scouts earlier this year at the NFL Combine. During his throwing session, he missed only one pass and showed strong accuracy, something he also displayed in his final college season. In what many consider a weaker quarterback class overall, his calm and smooth performance helped him stand out and gain more attention from teams.

Despite sitting for 3 years on the bench behind Jalen Milroe and Mac Jones, it didn’t take much for the Bama man to cause trouble in the SEC as a first-time starter. He looked more comfortable reading defenses last season and didn’t panic when his first option wasn’t open. He also showed toughness, finishing the year with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions while leading Alabama to the playoffs as the SEC runner-up.

Simpson can move well enough to extend plays without losing control, and many evaluators believe his best football is still ahead of him. Out of all the QBs from this year’s class, Simpson could be less risky than others in the long run.