Why Ty Simpson challenged himself during Alabama’s Pro Day

March 25, 2026; Tuscaloosa, AL, USA; Quarterback Ty Simpson throws during Pro Day in the Hank Crisp Indoor Practice Facility at the University of Alabama.

On paper, the risks outweighed the rewards. 

After putting together an impressive throwing session during last month’s NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, Ty Simpson has seemingly solidified his position as the No. 2 quarterback in this year’s draft class.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza’s name is practically already written on the Las Vegas Raiders’ draft card as the No. 1 overall pick in next month’s NFL Draft. Nothing Simpson did during Alabama’s Pro Day on Wednesday was going to change that. 

Simpson also entered the week riding a wave of media praise, as multiple analysts labeled him worthy of a first-round selection. A strong performance on Wednesday would have solidified that hype. However, Simpson would have likely maintained that momentum had he elected to let his combine performance speak for itself. 

Conversely, a few misplaced throws and an uncharacteristic Pro Day might have caused enough pause from scouts to throw a wrench in the quarterback’s rising draft stock. 

So what was the purpose of drawing up a challenging circuit of throws inside Alabama’s Hank Crisp Indoor Facility on Wednesday? 

“Why not? Like, go have fun, go sling it,” Simpson said. “You watch the tape of Pro Day, there wasn’t any easy throws. I didn’t want to make it easy. Being able to throw to Josh [Cuevas] and Germ [Germie Bernard] and those guys who I care about and who were great teammates to me is just something that I wanted to do. So I wanted to make it fun, throw to them one more time and end it with a bang.”

Fortunately for Simpson, his Pro Day routine went off without a hitch. The closest the quarterback came to a slip-up occurred when current Alabama receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams failed to haul in a deep ball. 

“On me,” Simpson shouted, before assuring his receiver that he would “get him back” later. Sure enough, Simpson uncorked a perfectly thrown deep ball that Williams pulled in moments later. 

That was one of several throws that Simpson executed on the day, showing off his strong arm and mobility in a challenging workout. 

“Why not? You let it rip,” Simpson said when asked about his plan for the workout. “That was something, you look at my tape, I make the big-time throws, and I make easy throws. But this is something that is fun. And being able to show off my arm and show off my feet is something I wanted to do. That was something I emphasized to David [Morris], like, ‘Hey, let’s go show out, have the best Pro Day ever.’” 

Simpson’s name has been included in the first round of most recent mock drafts. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky has even labeled him as the “best quarterback in this class,” ahead of Mendoza. When asked about the hype following Wednesday’s workout, Simpson said he’s not letting himself get carried away with evaluations on either side of the spectrum. 

“It’s the same way that I processed you guys during the end of the year last year,” Simpson said. “You just got to ignore it and keep playing. I get it, there’s going to be a lot of questions around my name, but I know what I’m capable of, and I know whoever’s going to get me is going to get a really good player and a guy who loves football and loves the team and loves being part of something bigger than himself.

After waiting behind Bryce Young and Jalen Simpson his first three years at Alabama, Simpson started all 15 of the Crimson Tide’s games last year. He completed 64.5% of his passes for 3,567 yards and 28 touchdowns with five interceptions while adding 93 yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground. 

Simpson will learn his fate next month when the NFL Draft takes place in Pittsburgh from April 23-25. 

“I’m gonna cry, for sure,” Simpson said when asked about what it will be like to hear his name called on draft day. “All the adversity I had to deal with through here. I’ve been dreaming of it as a kid. The sacrifices my mom and dad had to make. All the hard work. God has blessed me in so many different ways. Being able to hear my name being called is super surreal.”