2025 Alabama Football star Ty Simpson has until Jan. 14 to enter the 2026 NFL Draft. According to al.com's Nick Kelly, Simpson will make a decision before then. A decision is expected by the end of this week. Simpson will receive plenty of NFL feedback. Kelly, like others, believes a high probability of being selected in the first round would mean the end of Ty's Alabama career.
If Simpson leaves, there should be a good chance that Austin Mack and Keelon Russell stick with the Tide to compete for next season's starting job. There are three other possible scenarios. One is Simpson returns, and Austin Mack, having been a backup for three college football seasons, opts to find a starting role elsewhere. Another scenario is Simpson returns, Mack sticks, and Russell hits the Portal. A fourth scenario is the least plausible. It is that exits, and Kalen DeBoer is uncomfortable with four scholarship quarterbacks with little or no playing experience. Instead, he chases an experienced transfer QB. Such an abrupt move could result in Mack and Russell deciding to transfer.
Should Alabama Football Move on from Simpson?
Some Alabama football fans are ready to move on from Simpson. They believe a competition between Mack and Russell would be best for the Crimson Tide. Such an opinion discounts how good an experienced and healthy QB Simpson could be in 2026, behind an improved offensive line.
Whether Simpson returns or leaves, there will be a quarterback competition in the spring. If Simpson returns and Mack and Russell are still on the team, both will get a chance to beat out Simpson for the 2026 season. Simpson would certainly have an advantage, but Keelon Russell, in a second season, could win the starting role. Though perhaps less likely, so could Austin Mack. However, it is Russell who gets described as Alabama's "next great" Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback.
All of this may sound like a mess of problems for Kalen DeBoer. Instead, the Crimson Tide and DeBoer are fortunate to currently have a quarterback room filled with five highly talented players.