Most NFL fans may sway towards Indiana Hoosier Fernando Mendoza, but in Dan Orlovsky’s eyes, Ty Simpson, the Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback, is the best one in the 2026 QB class. Now, another NFL expert has flagged Orlovsky's recent comments.

Last week, Daniel Jeremiah of the NFL Network appeared on the You Better You Bet podcast. He stated that he had yet to meet anyone who shared Orlovsky’s opinion.

“Obviously, you can talk to different people, but I haven't talked to anyone that has that," Jeremiah said on the podcast. "And that’s not saying that he’s saying anything untrue. He’s just talking to different folks, apparently, but I have not, you know.”

It all started last week. Orlovsky and Pat McAfee argued over which college football quarterback is better, as McAfee has relentlessly supported Mendoza.

While he spelled out Mendoza’s achievements, the 2025 NCAA championship being one of them, Orlovsky had a pressing question.

“What biggest games, Pat?” he said, met with a confused response from McAfee, “Huh?”

Since then, there appears to be a fallout between the two, and Orlovsky proceeded to claim that he’s spoken to teams and decision-makers who also consider Simpson better. This prompted the conversation with Jeremiah on Tuesday.

The gap between Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson is not as wide as the narrative suggests. While Mendoza’s record is backed by wins and a loaded system, scouts remain split because his tape rarely demands more than execution (41 TDs), not elevation.

Simpson, on the other hand, comes with fewer results (28TDs) but tougher circumstances, making the evaluation less about production and more about projection.

Eventually, Jeremiah did not pick a quarterback since that wasn't how it works.

Ty Simpson's Latest Comments Shed Light on What He Brings to the Table

Sure, Mendoza is the 2025 NCAA Champion and scored 41 touchdowns for 3,535 yards. In the process, he threw only six interceptions with a completion rate of 72 percent. Statistically speaking, he is No.1.

But Simpson could be better in other ways. Firstly, Simpson was one of the few quarterbacks to have fewer interceptions than Mendoza, with five. But more importantly, he elevated his program’s ranking.

In 2024, the Crimson Tide was ranked at 17 in the NCAA standings, which shot up to No.9 last year as Simpson threw 28 touchdowns for 3,567 yards.

When asked why an NFL team should pick him, Simpson called himself a “program changer” who cares about the team more.

He is just the kind of player the Cleveland Browns need. Simpson has been touted as their first-round pick, and insider Mary Kay Cabot even revealed that the Browns “like” him. 

All eyes will be on the Browns on the first day of the 2026 draft, waiting to see if they pick Ty Simpson with their pick No. 6.

Read more at the Cleveland Browns Community!

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Aadesh Dhote