Alabama was blown out 38-3 by Indiana in the Rose Bowl on Thursday. A disappointing Crimson Tide campaign has now concluded in the quarterfinals of this year's College Football Playoff. Quarterback Ty Simpson should strongly consider returning to the program next season.
Simpson struggled mightily as Alabama was outclassed and outcoached by Indiana. The junior quarterback completed 12-of-16 passing attempts for just 67 yards. As the game got out of hand, Simpson was replaced by Austin Mack at quarterback, who ended up throwing for more passing yards.
The league now awaits Simpson's decision. He's eligible to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. The second half of Simpson's campaign was so inconsistent that he would clearly benefit from another season of college football.
Starting Alabama QB Ty Simpson has been benched due to injury.
— ESPN (@espn) January 1, 2026
Austin Mack is in at QB. pic.twitter.com/GzXdqnfarm
Simpson entered 2025 as a first-year starter. The Martin, Tennessee native was outstanding throughout the first portion of the schedule. Eight games into the year, Alabama was 7-1 and Simpson was playing like a first-round quarterback despite his inexperience.
It all changed in early November. Simpson was fairly pedestrian in an unimpressive 20-9 win over a struggling LSU program. He followed that up with a critical pick-six interception in a Week 12 defeat to Oklahoma.
In a Week 13 blowout victory over Eastern Illinois, Simpson threw for 147 yards, zero touchdowns, and two interceptions. It's borderline unfathomable that his stat line was so lackluster in a 56-0 triumph. Simpson never recovered.
Simpson completed under 50% of his passing attempts and threw an interception in an embarrassing 28-7 loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship. Alabama entered the CFP through the back door. Thursday's no-show against Indiana proves they didn't belong among the elites this year.
From August through October, Simpson performed like a potential No. 1 overall quarterback. His poise and accuracy were considerably impressive given his inexperience. But from November onward, Simpson looked more like a day-two selection.
While Simpson struggled to complete 10-yard passes against Indiana, Fernando Mendoza was on the other side, confirming his status as the top quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Mere hours earlier, Oregon quarterback Dante Moore threw just seven incompletions and 234 yards in a playoff win over Texas Tech.
"He had the most to gain and the most to lose, and he lost a lot."@JRodgers11 believes Ty Simpson SHOULD come back to Alabama after losing to Indiana in the CFP 👀 pic.twitter.com/Ya7PqZUzVl
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) January 2, 2026
It's officially a two-quarterback draft with Mendoza and Moore separating themselves at the top. Simpson is no longer in contention. That alone should strongly make Simpson consider a return to school.
It's worth noting Simpson is not the most culpable for Alabama's shortcomings. This is one of the weakest Crimson Tide teams in recent memory. The lack of a running game and high-end playmakers in the passing game routinely limited Simpson. None of that is his fault, but it did prevent him from showcasing his full capabilities to NFL evaluators.
If Simpson does forego entering the draft and returns to school, he should weigh his options by entering the transfer portal. There's serious doubt over Kalen DeBoer's ability to get the program back on track as Nick Saban's successor. If Alabama doesn't greatly improve this offseason, there may be better opportunities for Simpson elsewhere.
Mendoza and Moore have established themselves as the best quarterbacks in the 2206 NFL Draft. If Simpson declares, he could potentially slide out of first-round projections. Simpson should return to college football in 2026. Another campaign of development would greatly improve his long-term outlook.