Alabama’s loss to the Florida State Seminoles on opening day left the Crimson Tide reeling. Questions were forming about Kalen DeBoer. Ty Simpson had failed to establish any sense of an identity, and fans were beginning to long for the days of Nick Saban.
Advertisement
Thankfully, an eight-game win streak seems to have cured all of that. The Tide still faces plenty of doubt, as exemplified by the $99,000 dip in Simpson’s NIL valuations (currently valued $2.4 million), but they’ve managed to turn that doubt into fuel that is actively spurring their success on the field. For the first time in what feels like a lifetime, Alabama, despite being a top-10-ranked team in the nation, is somehow playing the role of the underdog, and while that isn’t paying very well right now, it may allow them to cash out after the Iron Bowl.
Simpson entered the 2025 season with a modest NIL portfolio. He had managed to net some partnerships with brands like Hugo Boss, Amazon Prime, and the obvious EA Sports, but the 2025 season has taken him into another tax bracket.
Now that he’s been able to return Alabama to its winning ways, Simpson’s NIL valuations have eclipsed the $2-million mark. So, while the loss to Oklahoma certainly hurts, as does the $99,000, it’s still hard to argue that this season hasn’t been a success for the 22-year-old.
Of course, his individual performances have still left a lot to be desired. Even though Alabama was able to walk away last week with a picture-perfect 56-point shutout win at home against Eastern Illinois, Simpson still turned the ball over twice while throwing for just 147 passing yards.
If anything, he’s a perfect example of the concept that a rising tide lifts all ships. No matter how great or poorly he does on an individual level, as long as the result is a win, there’s going to be some dollars coming Simpson’s way in the aftermath of things.
Consider it one of the many benefits that come with playing for a powerhouse program that has established itself as a household name across the nation. More exposure leads to more advertising opportunities, and those translate directly to dollars.
Now that he’s finally getting his slice of the Alabama pie, it’s pretty easy to understand why Simpson was willing to wait his turn on the bench for the last few years. The only number that matters for Alabama this week is the -5.5 point spread that they are laying against the Auburn Tigers.
With a point total of 46.5, oddsmakers are projecting this year’s Iron Bowl to look like a lot like the competitive classics that we have grown accustomed to seeing from these two teams throughout the years, and if that’s the case, then fans will certainly want to make sure that their Saturday afternoon is clear for this one, as it could end up being the best bowl game of the season.
