The Alabama Crimson Tide is going to have a new quarterback next season.

According to various reports on Wednesday morning, Ty Simpson is headed to the NFL Draft after a roller coaster of a 2025 season.

Regardless of the way things went down the stretch of the season, Simpson’s phenomenal tape from early in the season will likely give him a great chance to be selected in the first round, which was likely the biggest factor in the decision.

He posted a video on Instagram announcing the decision and thanking Alabama for a wonderful four years.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ty Simpson (@ty_simpson06)

While the Tide could have benefited in 2026 from another season with Simpson under center, his departure also allows the program to turn an exciting page in year three with Coach Kalen DeBoer.

For the first time, DeBoer will be starting a quarterback that he fully recruited and developed himself.

The two presumptive favorites to compete for QB1 are Austin Mack — who DeBoer brought with him from Washington — and Keelon Russell, the former highly touted five-star who was one of the best players in the nation as a high schooler.

Assuming neither gunslinger shocks everyone and chooses to transfer, Mack likely enters the offseason with a slight edge. He served as the backup this season and got the chance to play most of the second half of the Rose Bowl after Simpson went out due to a rib injury.

Mack has now been in DeBoer’s system for three seasons — going back to 2023 at Washington. It’s clear Mack is someone DeBoer thought highly enough of to bring him along to Alabama.

Russell, on the other hand, has as high a ceiling as any quarterback who has come through Tuscaloosa. Even though he served as the third string in his freshman year, many see him as the future of the program.

His otherworldly talent could carry him through the spring and push him ahead of Mack, despite being behind him this year.

While Jett Thomalla and Tayden Kaawa each could have an outside shot at pushing their way up the depth chart as well, this certainly seems to be a Mack vs. Russell race to be Alabama’s starting quarterback.

It should be another exciting spring of football in Tuscaloosa, as the two big-armed hopefuls try to stake their claim as the main man in DeBoer’s offense.