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Superstar College Quarterback Spills The Beans On Rejecting Multiple $6.5M NIL Offers To Enter The 2026 NFL Draft Instead

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This article was originally published on Total Pro Sports.

NFL draft (Photo By Ethan Morrison / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

Ty Simpson turned down huge money to chase his NFL dream. Schools offered him up to $6.5 million in NIL deals, but he chose to enter the NFL draft and move on from college football.

Simpson spoke about the decision Tuesday in an interview with On3 after filing his draft paperwork. He said the pressure was intense. Miami, Tennessee, and Ole Miss all pushed hard, and the offers kept getting bigger.

By Sunday, it all felt overwhelming. Simpson said he felt sick and stressed. He even skipped a duck hunting trip he had planned after church. He prayed, talked things through with his parents, and remembered advice Nick Saban once gave him. That advice helped him make his final choice.

Simpson Shuts Out NIL Noise After Final Wave Of Offers

Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (Photo By Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images)

The offers surged late. Miami briefly backed off before returning with its biggest move. Simpson recalled how fast things changed.

“Miami was kind of like, ‘All right, we’re moving on,’ and then they lost out on Sam Leavitt and came back with that big number,” Simpson said. “And then Ole Miss called again and said they could match it.”

Tennessee stayed aggressive and talked about deals worth up to $5 million. Miami went even higher. Nothing was put on paper, but the pressure was real.

After Alabama’s playoff loss, Nick Saban gave Simpson advice. He told him to take money out of the decision. Once Simpson did that, the choice became clear.

Simpson said his goal has always been the NFL. That belief was reinforced when 18 NFL teams gave him draft grades. Seventeen saw him as a first-round pick, and one said strong interviews could still get him there.

On Tuesday morning, Simpson called Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb. He told them personally that he was staying and would not enter the transfer portal.

“I was honest and told them what I’d been offered,” Simpson said. “But I just couldn’t do it because of everything I stood for and what Alabama had meant to me.”

Simpson said taking the money and leaving would have changed his legacy. He was a team captain and made his mark at Alabama. Moreover, he earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees and waited four years for his opportunity.

“I would have lost everything that I built at Alabama,” he said.

Last season, he ranked second in the SEC with 3,567 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He threw only five interceptions in his entire college career. Also, he is now training in Mobile with quarterback coach David Morris as he gets ready for the NFL draft.

“Somebody who loves football,” Simpson said. “And somebody who was loyal.”

He hopes fans remember him simply as he wants.

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