Michael David Smith ,
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At a time when few top college quarterbacks are willing to bide their time as backups if they could instead transfer to somewhere they can start. Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson spent three years on the bench before earning the starting job this year. It’s paying off for him.
Simpson, who was little-known before this year, is having a strong season and is now the betting favorite to be the first overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.
Simpson is having an excellent season for Alabama, completing 65.7 percent of his passes while throwing 20 touchdowns and only one interception. He still has a year of NCAA eligibility remaining, but he now looks like a good bet to enter the draft in 2026, and perhaps be the first player to hear his name called.
At DraftKings.com, Simpson’s odds to go first overall are +220. Next is Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza at +290, followed by South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers at +600 and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore at +750.
The first non-quarterback in the draft odds is Miami defensive end Rueben Bain at +800.
Long shots include LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier at +2000, USC quarterback Jayden Maiava at +2500, Miami quarterback Carson Beck at +2500, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer at +3000 and Texas quarterback Arch Manning at +4000.
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