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In what has been another electric season of college football, ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith recently claimed on First Take that the University of Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is the clear frontrunner worthy of the Heisman Trophy. More news: Texas QB Arch Manning Exits Game With Concerning Head Injury Smith sees Simpson’s impact going beyond the stat sheet and pointed to the fact that the Crimson Tide has gone on quite the winning streak since their Week 1 loss to Florida State. The commentator even alluded to the fact that Alabama looks like a National Championship contender with Simpson at the helm. ATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 9: Television personality Stephen A. Smith speaks onstage during the 2025 ForbesBLK Summit at Ray Charles Performing Arts Center Morehouse College on October 9, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images) “When we’re asking ourselves that question as to whether or not they’re the No. 1 team in the nation, I can’t definitively say no when their quarterback is looking the way he’s looking,” Smith said. “And when you got this kid, Simpson, Ty Simpson, playing ball the way that he’s playing ball, this is a leading candidate for the Heisman right now,” Smith said. “He’s next level. The way that he’s performed, if he continues to perform like that, could they win the national championship? The answer would be yes.” More news: Texas HC Steve Sarkisian Takes Firm Stance on Giving Up Play-Calling Duties Simpson added a seventh win in a row to his resume, holding on to defeat the South Carolina Gamecocks, 29-22. He spoke after the game about what it meant to his team to complete the fourth quarter comeback in a rowdy Williams-Brice Stadium. “It’s a great win, it’s a tough win,” Simpson said. “Guys coming together and just hugging each other like, ‘Happy for you. Proud of you. Got your back.’ The amount of ‘I got your back’ in that locker room right now is amazing. I’ve never felt that in a locker room before— the amount of trust, having each other’s backs. The amount of love we have for one another is like no other.” On the year, the junior has thrown for 2,184 yards, good for the ninth-most in the nation, and 20 touchdowns, tied for the sixth-most in the country. He is putting up quite a case to be a Heisman Trophy winner, but there is a lot of football left to play this season. For more on the NCAA, head to Newsweek Sports.
