Unfortunately, the Miami Hurricanes are going to have to scramble a bit to figure out who the team's starting quarterback will be in 2026. Sam Leavitt and Ty Simpson were clearly the top two options, but both said thanks, but no thanks.
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Leavitt has signed with LSU and Lane Kiffin, while Simpson won't be pulling his name out of the NFL Draft. As it turns out, Simpson told Mario Cristobal more than once that he wasn't going to be making the move to Coral Gables. Via Chris Low, Simpson explained how his recruitment went down and it's not a great look for Miami:
NEW: Massive NIL offers from other schools couldn't delay Ty Simpson's NFL dreams, he tells @Clowfb🙏
— On3 (@On3) January 14, 2026
Tennessee, Miami and Ole Miss were offering $4M, and the Hurricanes upped it to $6.5M
“Miami was kind of like, ‘All right, we’re moving on,’ and then they lost out on Sam… pic.twitter.com/5crCEiq7qH
Ty Simpson turned down Miami twice before deciding to stay in the NFL Draft
Per Simpson, Cristobal and the Canes reached out and he said he was going to stick to his NFL plans. However, once Leavitt decided to commit to the Tigers, Miami got a little desperate and the $6.5 million offer was put on the table.
Surely that gave Simpson something to think about, but in the end it wasn't enough for him to change his mind. Simpson added that playing for Alabama and closing out his college career with the Crimson Tide was more important for him than jumping ship for a pay day.
He's considered a late first-round pick, but we won't find out where he goes next until April's draft. So, what's next for Cristobal and Miami in terms of its QB search? That's tough to say, but the Hurricanes have quickly been linked to USC transfer Husan Longstreet.
Coming out of high school, Longstreet was a 5-star prospect and there's no question that he holds a ton of potential moving forward. However, with his lack of experience, he may not be the best fit for what Miami is looking for in 2026. Could there end up being a transfer target fans don't know about who Miami will pursue? Maybe, but missing out in Simpson sure does sting right now.