And just like that, Alabama's quarterback situation for 2026 becomes one of the biggest questions of the college football offseason. Ty Simpson has made the decision to declare for the NFL Draft, leaving the Crimson Tide with a likely quarterback competition going into the next season.
Simpson's decision could have a collateral effect on what Alabama does over the next week before the transfer portal closes. One of the main focal points for the offseason was adding more playmakers on offense and at the top of that list is wide receiver Cam Coleman.
๐ก๐๐ช๐ฆ: Auburn transfer WR Cam Coleman will be visiting Alabama TONIGHT, per Brett Greenberg
โ Recruits Bama (@RecruitsBama) January 6, 2026
He has visited Texas and Texas A&M since entering the Portal
Coleman is ranked as the No. 1 WR in the Transfer Portal pic.twitter.com/USsE6DGuty
Coleman's expected visit will take on a greater meaning as Kalen DeBoer and staff will have to explain to him what their next step is going to be regarding the quarterback position in 2026. It could simply be a spring and summer competition between redshirt junior Austin Mack and blue-chip prospect Keelon Russell, a five-star prospect in the 2025 recruiting class.
Alabama isn't alone in these questions among Coleman's top programs. The top-ranked wide receiver in the transfer portal is also looking at Texas, Texas Tech and Texas A&M. While the Longhorns appear stable at quarterback with Arch Manning returning for another season, Texas Tech is bringing in a new quarterback, former Cincinnati signal caller Brendan Sorsby, the top-ranked quarterback in the portal ย and Texas A&M has Marcel Reed returning, but his struggles in the second half of the season have to be addressed.ย
How much longer is the transfer portal open?
The transfer portal window opened on January 2 and will close at the end of the day on January 16. Unlike previous seasons, there is just one transfer window and all roster additions will have to be made before the window closes.
Alabama has been building a strong portal class with the additions of top running back Hollywood Smothers (N.C. State) and linebacker Caleb Woodson (Virginia Tech. Earlier today, the Crimson Tide continued their surge in portal recruiting with the recent commitment of defensive lineman Devan Thompkins, who ranked sixth among the available defensive linemen in the portal.ย