Ty Simpson’s decision to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft didn’t just mark the end of his Alabama career; it closed the book on one of the most remarkable quarterback streaks in college football history. For 15 years, Alabama’s starting quarterback left Tuscaloosa with an SEC Championship ring. The run survived coaching changes, roster turnover, and even Nick Saban’s retirement. It did not survive a season in which a brilliant quarterback was asked to carry a championship standard largely on his own.

The 23-year-old redshirt junior threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions while leading the Tide to the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. But Alabama fell to Georgia 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game in December. It snapped the streak that had defined a generation of Crimson Tide football.​

The lineage of championship quarterbacks reads like a who’s who of modern college football royalty. Greg McElroy won the 2009 SEC title before Alabama’s national championship run. AJ McCarron claimed back-to-back conference crowns in 2012 and again in his senior year. Blake Sims (2014) and Jake Coker (2015) kept the streak alive despite being viewed as system quarterbacks rather than NFL prospects. 

Then came the superstars. Jalen Hurts won as a true freshman in 2016, Tua Tagovailoa captured the 2018 crown, and Mac Jones led the pandemic-shortened 2020 season to SEC glory. Then Bryce Young added the 2021 title before becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Jalen Milroe closed out the Saban era with the 2023 SEC Championship, making Ty Simpson the first starting QB in 15 years to fail to add his name to that illustrious list.​

What makes Simpson’s miss so painful is that he came agonizingly close. Through the first nine games of the season, Simpson looked like he’d continue the dynasty. But cracks started showing in mid-November with a regular-season loss to Oklahoma, where Simpson struggled mightily. One of his worst performances came in the SEC Championship Game, where he completed fewer than half his passes as Georgia dominated.

Simpson gave everything he had, but the supporting cast around him simply wasn’t up to Alabama’s championship standards. The rushing attack in particular was abysmal. The Crimson Tide struggled all season to establish an effective run game. They posted just 56 rushing yards against LSU, with running backs accounting for only 39 of those yards on 16 carries.

Simpson’s decision to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft makes sense given he’s already 23 years old. He spent three years as a backup behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe before finally getting his shot. Nine straight SEC Championship-winning quarterbacks is a streak that will likely never be replicated. And Simpson’s near miss might be the closest anyone comes to extending it for another decade.​

Simpson’s NFL future looks bright despite missing the championship

Despite becoming the first Alabama starting quarterback in 15 years to leave Tuscaloosa without an SEC Championship ring, Ty Simpson’s NFL stock remained remarkably strong throughout his decision-making process. The 23-year-old redshirt junior received first-round grades from every single NFL general manager his family contacted. 

His father, Jason Simpson, UT-Martin’s head coach, confirmed that “nobody said second round” when evaluating his pro prospects. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. ranked Simpson as the third-best quarterback eligible for the 2026 draft behind only Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana and Oregon’s Dante Moore. “There were very, very lucrative opportunities to play another year of college football,” Jason Simpson told ESPN, but when you’ve got a chance to be a first-round NFL pick, you take it.​

Simpson’s Instagram announcement showed someone at peace with leaving the streak behind, even if it’ll haunt Alabama’s record books forever. “It wasn’t all perfect, and it didn’t have to be, but every moment had meaning, and I gave Alabama my all,” Simpson said in his video declaration. “And I got so much more in return. Coach [Nick] Saban was right — it was all worth it.” That’s the attitude of someone who knows he maximized his opportunity despite the championship miss.

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