Former Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson is contending to be the second quarterback selected in this week’s NFL Draft, and his final collegiate game has become a focal point of pre-draft discussion. In that finale, despite a strong season overall, Simpson and Alabama struggled in a 38-3 Rose Bowl loss to the eventual national champion Indiana Hoosiers, led by Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza, the lone quarterback prospect expected to be selected ahead of Simpson in the first round.
This week, Simpson made pointed comments about the Hoosiers’ defense on the “Downs 2 Business” podcast, prompting a sharp retort from Indiana defensive coordinator and Broyles Award winner Bryant Haines.
Indiana DC Bryant Haines Responds to Ty Simpson’s Comments
In the Hoosiers’ dominant 38-3 victory on January 1, Simpson completed 12 of 16 passes for just 67 yards. He rushed three times for 17 yards before leaving in the third quarter with a fractured rib suffered in the first half. While appearing on the podcast with former Alabama teammate Caleb Downs and his brother, Josh Downs, Simpson was asked about Indiana’s defensive masterclass.
“I was like, they don’t do much. I was like, they do the same thing every down,” Simpson said. “When I got the ball, I knew exactly what was going to happen. They just didn’t mess up, bro. They were in the exact same spot they were supposed to be. They were so well-coached. It was so much different than the SEC. The SEC will play man, they’ll do these unorthodox coverages because that’s kind of how it is.”
Simpson referred to the game as “crazy” and expressed lingering frustration over the injury and the offense’s inability to move the ball. “I just knew what they were going to do. We couldn’t really run the ball. We didn’t really throw. It was so crazy to me how it happened.”
Indiana defensive coordinator Bryant Haines did not take the “vanilla” description lightly. Late Friday night, he took to social media to defend the unit that led the Hoosiers to a perfect 16-0 season.
“Adorable,” Haines responded on X. “We also saw everything they were doing, on every single snap… It’s just that we exploited those cues. And didn’t get frozen and crushed by them.”
Haines, who won the Broyles Award as the nation’s top assistant coach in February, orchestrated a defensive resurgence that helped Indiana rank No. 2 nationally in scoring defense (11.7 points per game). His retort emphasized his support for his players after a season where Indiana limited nine of 16 opponents to 10 points or fewer.
As the draft in Pittsburgh approaches, Simpson hopes to look past the Rose Bowl performance. He finished his final season with 3,567 passing yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions, numbers that keep him firmly in the conversation as a potential top-five overall pick.
