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Alabama QB Ty Simpson declares for NFL draft, closing door to Tennessee
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- Alabama QB Ty Simpson declares for NFL draft, closing door to Tennessee
Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft , closing the very narrow doorway that might've led him to Tennessee football .
It's not a surprise. Simpson was expected to head to the NFL if he got a first-round grade. And in a thin quarterback draft class, that appears to be the case.
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Numerous media reports had linked Simpson to Tennessee – that is, if he didn't declare for the NFL draft and if he didn't return to Alabama for another season. Granted, those were two sizable obstacles.
But Tennessee would've been a frontrunner to land Simpson if he had entered the transfer portal . The former five-star recruit from Martin, Tennessee, planned to sign with the Vols in the 2022 class until UT fired coach Jeremy Pruitt amid an NCAA investigation into a recruiting scandal.
It turns out Simpson will remain a beloved quarterback at Alabama only.
Meanwhile, Tennessee is trying to land Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt , the No. 1 ranked player in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports . Leavitt is scheduled to begin his visit to Tennessee on Jan. 7.
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Tennessee must replace quarterback Joey Aguilar , who led the SEC in passing yards on the league's highest scoring offense. Aguilar exhausted his eligibility, but he's hoping to get an additional season of eligibility as part of Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia's lawsuit against the NCAA . However, there had been no recent developments in the case that point to an imminent resolution.
UT also has two talented but inexperienced quarterbacks in George MacIntyre , a 2025 four-star recruit, and Faizon Brandon , a 2026 five-star signee.
Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email adam.sparks@knoxnews.com . X, formerly known as Twitter @AdamSparks . Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Ty Simpson: Alabama QB declares for 2026 NFL draft, closes door to Tennessee
