Nick Saban wasted no time weighing in after one of his former quarterbacks made history Thursday night. The Los Angeles Rams selected Alabama’s Ty Simpson with the 13th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, a pick that stunned most of the football world but made complete sense to the man who recruited him.
Simpson entered the draft as one of the most polarizing figures of the 2026 class, boasting NFL-level processing but with questions that lingered after a rocky finish to his college season. Saban, for one, has no reservations about where his former signal-caller landed.
“This is a perfect situation for him to get into, though, where he doesn’t have to play, where he’s going to be able to take some time to develop,” Saban said Thursday night on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “And I think it’s going to work out perfectly for him.”
Saban on Simpson’s fit with the Rams
Saban’s full-throated endorsement carries more weight when you consider Simpson’s unique path to draft night. He grew up in Martin, Tennessee, attended Westview High School and led the program to a 2A state championship as a senior, throwing for 2,827 yards and 41 touchdowns against just three interceptions while adding 862 rushing yards and 11 scores on the ground. He was the top-ranked quarterback in the 2022 class and committed to Saban over Tennessee and Clemson.
What followed at Alabama was a masterclass in patience. Simpson spent three seasons as a reserve behind Bryce Young and then Jalen Milroe, appearing in just 16 games before finally getting his shot as a starter in 2025.
When he did start, he was exceptional early, throwing 21 touchdowns to one interception over the first nine games and putting himself in the Heisman conversation. The back half of the season was bumpier, but the upside was impossible to ignore.
Saban made clear Thursday he sees the Rams situation as tailored for a player who simply needs more time at game speed. “I think he needs to mature a little bit as a quarterback, which means get more reps, get more experience,” Saban said. “And then I think he’ll be a very, very good player.”
Why the Rams’ patience plan has real precedent
The Rams’ blueprint here is deliberate and, frankly, hard to argue with. Simpson will back up Matthew Stafford, who is coming off an MVP season at 38 years old, with the two sides making progress on a contract extension. Rams head coach Sean McVay was direct after the pick: “Let’s make one thing clear, this is Matthew’s team.”
The concern scouts raise is legitimate. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein gave Simpson a 6.3 prospect grade, projecting him to eventually become a starter, while drawing a comparison to former first-round pick Mac Jones, another Alabama quarterback who needed time to develop.
Of all quarterbacks drafted in the first round over the last 25 years, only Anthony Richardson, Mitchell Trubisky and Dwayne Haskins had fewer college starts than Simpson’s 15. Richardson, the most recent of that group, struggled badly when thrust into a starting role early in Indianapolis.
That’s precisely what makes this landing spot valuable. FOX Sports analyst Joel Klatt made a pointed observation about Simpson’s game: “He makes really strong and accurate intermediate and deep-level throws, particularly outside the numbers. He’s a battler. This guy’s a warrior in there.”
A player with that kind of arm talent, given a year or two to absorb McVay’s system from the sideline, could develop into exactly the player Saban is predicting.
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