With Dylan Raiola and Sam Leavitt nearly cementing their places at Oregon and LSU, it seems inevitable that the Miami Hurricanes will have to sign Ty Simpson… that is, if he decides not to actually head to the NFL.
Late last night, rumors of the Canes offering Simpson an earth-shattering $6.5 million deal came out, and the world of college football was turned upside down.
Yes, just a year ago, Miami signed quarterback Carson Beck for $4 million, and yes, Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning is reportedly making upwards of $6 million from his combined NIL portfolio.
But $6.5 million right off the bat? For a college quarterback? Much less a QB who has just one season of starting experience? That’s unheard of.
Ty Simpson is Miami’s main target with Raiola and Leavitt of the board
Raiola announced his commitment to the Oregon Ducks on Monday morning, and just a few moments later, ESPN’s Pete Thamel shared that Leavitt was expected to sign with the LSU Tigers.
Other than a few backup quarterbacks in the portal, and a few quarterbacks from Group of Five or FCS programs, that took almost all of the viable options off the board for the Hurricanes… other than Simpson, that is.
Here’s the thing. Simpson is a projected first-round pick in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft. Those first-round quarterback rookie contracts usually equate to about $16 million over four years ($4 million annually).
So, in comparison, Miami’s supposed $6.5 million really shouldn’t be that surprising. The Canes are trying to convince Simpson to pass up a virtually guaranteed $4 million salary for four years from the NFL in hopes that he will stay in college and come to South Beach instead.
If the offer doesn’t lure Simpson in the Hurricanes’ direction, Miami head coach Mario Cristobal may truly be left scrambling, even though his team is about to play in the National Championship and he has proven success with transfer quarterbacks (i.e., Beck and Cam Ward).
No matter what, the fact that there are even rumors of such a large offer being put on the table could undeniably change the landscape of college football and NIL deals.
