Simpson Tops On3’s Heisman Poll for the Fourth Straight Week

Alabama currently has a 7-1 record and an impressive 5-0 in SEC play, mainly due to redshirt junior quarterback Ty Simpson. In a recent game against South Carolina, which the Crimson Tide won 29-22, Simpson showcased his skills by leading a crucial fourth-quarter game-tying drive when Alabama trailed by 8 points with ten minutes left in regulation. Simpson connected with Germie Bernard for a four-yard touchdown, concluding a 14-play, 79-yard drive that lasted over seven minutes. He then found tight end Josh Cuevas for a game-tying two-point conversion. A pivotal fumble recovery by the defense followed, setting up Bernard's 25-yard rushing touchdown that sealed the game.

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Simpson has been a key factor in the Tide's seven-game winning streak since their season-opening 31-17 loss to Florida State, when both he and the team struggled to find their rhythm. As a result of his outstanding performance since that loss, Simpson is now in contention for the Heisman Trophy, with On3 ranking him No. 1 in their most recent Heisman poll for the fourth consecutive week.

On Monday, On3 released its Week 10 Heisman Poll, ranking the top 10 college football players. Notably, Simpson topped the list, ranking number one among five quarterbacks from the SEC who made the cut. Texas A&M's quarterback Marcel Reed was ranked third, followed by Vanderbilt's Diego Pavia at fourth, Ole Miss's Trinidad Chambliss at seventh, and Georgia's Gunner Stockton, rounding out the list at tenth. The complete rankings for On3's Week 10 Heisman Poll are provided below.

1. QB, Ty Simpson (Alabama)
2. QB, Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
3. QB, Marcel Reed (Texas A&M)
4. QB, Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt)
5. QB, Julian Sayin (Ohio State)
6. QB, Haynes King (Georgia Tech)
7. QB, Trinidad Chambliss (Ole Miss)
T8. QB, Dante Moore (Oregon)
T8. QB, Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati)
10. QB, Gunner Stockton (Georgia)

Simpson, a Redshirt junior in his fourth year with the team, committed to Alabama in 2022 and played for the legendary former head coach Nick Saban for two seasons. Following Saban's retirement, Kalen DeBoer took over as the head coach of the Crimson Tide in Simpson's redshirt sophomore season. Throughout his first three years, Simpson didn't start, as he was behind notable quarterbacks like Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe. However, he never lost faith in himself and chose to wait for his chance rather than transfer to another team for immediate playing time, which is quite rare in today's college football landscape. This decision has proven beneficial for Simpson, as he is currently demonstrating some of the best football in the country during Alabama's seven-game winning streak.

During this streak, Simpson has completed 130/187 passes for a 69% completion percentage while tallying 1,930 yards through the air, 18 touchdowns through the air, and two more on the ground while only throwing one interception. He has achieved this against some prestigious competition, with Alabama defeating two top-10 teams (No. 9 Vanderbilt and No. 4 Georgia) and two top-20 teams (No. 19 Missouri and No. 14 Tennessee) during its seven-game win streak.

Simpson currently ranks in the top 10 for total passing yards this season, sitting at No. 9 with 2,184 yards. He is second in the conference, while Tennessee's Joey Aguilar leads the SEC in passing yards. Additionally, Simpson ranks just outside the top 5 in passing touchdowns, holding the No. 6 spot with 20 touchdowns, which also leads the SEC.

When Simpson was asked about his performance being at a Heisman level after a dominant showing with 340 yards passing and two touchdowns in a 30-14 victory over No. 9 Vanderbilt at the beginning of October, he didn't seem concerned or interested in the Heisman discussions. The quarterback stated that his primary focus is on winning and called it "absurd" to be involved in Heisman talks, emphasizing that it’s his teammates who enable him to succeed at such a high level week after week.

"Thanks to the guys up front, thanks to the wideouts and running backs. Honestly, it's kind of absurd the talk around it. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them, and wasn't for the defense getting turnovers and whatnot." Simpson added, "I just want to go 1-0 and win. Whatever it takes to win and get my guys to celebrate in that locker room, 3-5 minutes, is all that matters to me."

Despite Simpson not getting wrapped up in Heisman discussions, everyone else seems to be. He has been ranked No. 1 in On3's Heisman Polls since Week 6, scoring no less than 63 points in the last four polls that On3 has released. Even ESPN's Stephen A. Smith endorsed Simpson as his top Heisman candidate, going so far as to suggest that Alabama could win a National Championship if Simpson continues to perform at his current level. He made these remarks on First Take this past Friday, a day before the Crimson Tide faced South Carolina.

"When you got this kid Simpson, Ty Simpson playing ball, the way he's playing ball, this is a leading candidate for the Heisman right now." Smith, "He's next level. If he continues to perform like that, could they win a national championship? The answer would be yes."

Simpson and the Crimson Tide still have four games left in the season, with three of those being Conference games against LSU, which just fired its head coach, Brian Kelly, No. 18 Oklahoma, and the Iron Bowl against Auburn in Jordan-Hare. If Simpson can manage to stay healthy and continue playing at the level that he has been, there is no doubt that he won't be in New York on December 13 for the Heisman ceremony.

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