This summer, it wasn’t even clear if Ty Simpson was going to be an SEC starting quarterback. Now, nine weeks into the season, Simpson is a Heisman Trophy contender, and the question is whether or not Simpson will be a first-round pick and an NFL starting QB. FOX’s Colin Cowherd doesn’t think so.
This week, Cowherd had FOX college football color analyst Joel Klatt on his show to talk about the top quarterbacks for the 2026 NFL Draft, and Cowherd favored South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers over Simpson. The two QBs met on the field in Columbia last week, with Simpson leading a fourth-quarter game-tying touchdown drive before Sellers fumbled to set up the game-winning Alabama score.
Cowherd, a longtime take artist, more well-known for his unique sports analogies than his aptitude as an evaluator, claimed Simpson, “has no juice,” and Klatt’s rebuttal is must-watch for Alabama fans.
@joelklatt with an articulate & witty response to Colin Cowherd on the @TheHerd yesterday. They were comparing LaNorris Sellers to Ty Simpson and Colin says he wants to draft QBs off a “wow trait” while klatt explains Ty Simpsons ability to control the game and how it translates… pic.twitter.com/iY1xjZYEYC
— 💎 ℕ.ℝ. 💎 🐻⏬ (@Bears_Dubz) October 30, 2025
Ty Simpson is built to succeed in the NFL
Cowherd wants “wow” traits in a first-round quarterback, and that philosophy isn’t necessarily off base. Swinging on the big arm, athletic quarterbacks is the only way to end up with a Josh Allen or Patrick Mahomes. However, it could also leave you with Anthony Richardson, and it isn’t the only way to get a great player at the position.
Simpson may not be the biggest or fastest, but he has plenty of arm, as Klatt pointed out. Simpson attacks the middle of the field with velocity and is an excellent thrower under pressure. His “wow” trait, though, which Cowherd doesn’t watch close enough to recognize, is his anticipation. Simpson doesn’t wait for his receivers to come open; he throws them open, a major area of growth after his struggles in Week 1.
Accuracy and anticipation are NFL traits. They may not be measurable at the draft combine, but they will blow away any evaluator watching Simpson’s tape. There’s an argument that Simpson should come back to Alabama to get more starts under his belt before leaving for the NFL, but through his first eight starts, he’s absolutely checked the boxes of a first-round pick.
There’s a whole lot more to the quarterback position than what Sellers brings. That’s not even to say that Sellers won’t be successful at the next level. His athleticism and physicality will make whatever team he joins a nightmare on the ground.
He has the arm to push the ball downfield and has accuracy, but for all his mobility, he isn’t comfortable in the pocket and has a staggeringly high pressure-to-sack rate, which puts him behind the sticks far too often.
Simpson will have his detractors during the draft process, but he’s built to succeed at the next level. That’s obvious to anyone who has watched Alabama closely this year.