Tennessee missed on Sam Leavitt, but Alabama QB Ty Simpson is still receiving offers despite declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft
The Tennessee Vols are still in need of a transfer quarterback after Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt signed with the LSU Tigers.
The Tennessee Vols watched their top transfer quarterback target sign with another school on Monday.
Tennessee put its best foot forward for Arizona State transfer Sam Leavitt, but the Vols ultimately weren’t willing to outbid the LSU Tigers for his commitment.
As a result, Lane Kiffin shamelessly got his guy, and Tennessee’s search continues for a quarterback to pair with true freshman George MacIntyre and incoming five-star signee Faizon Brandon.
Is Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson still an option for the Vols?
Before the Vols got involved with Leavitt, there were rumblings that Tennessee could be a landing spot for Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson.
Simpson, a Tennessee native, was reportedly weighing entering the transfer portal or declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft last week. Had Simpson entered the portal, the Vols would’ve been one of the top contenders to sign him.
The Alabama quarterback, however, announced last week that he plans to enter the NFL Draft. But that hasn’t stopped teams from continuing to pursue Simpson.
According to AL.com, multiple teams have offered Simpson anywhere from $4 million to $6.5 million to withdraw from the draft and enter the portal (which is what Carson Beck did last season).
The speculation is that Tennessee and Miami are two teams that have made overtures.
Simpson would be a tremendous get for the Vols — even if they had to pay him something absurd like $6 million.
But I’d be very surprised if Simpson withdraws from the draft. I don’t think he’s making this decision solely on money.
For starters, he’s probably going to be a first round pick — maybe even a top 20 pick. Quarterbacks typically tend to rise during the pre-draft process with numerous NFL teams usually needing one. Simpson will benefit from supply and demand (even though he’d benefit even more from an extra year in college — he only has one season as a starter under his belt).
Secondly, I don’t see Simpson reversing course after putting out a video about his love for Alabama and how it’s “Bama forever” while announcing that he’s entering the draft.
You never say never in today’s college football. Maybe Simpson wakes up from a nap later today and decides he wants to spend one more year in college. It can change that quick.
But still, it seems very unlikely.
The transfer portal closes on Friday, so if Simpson is going to change his mind, it’ll need to happen quickly.
Tennessee Volunteers News
The one big reason why it makes sense that Sam Leavitt is going to LSU instead of Tennessee
Arizona State transfer quarterback Sam Leavitt reportedly committed to the LSU Tigers on Monday.
