Many believed the Miami Hurricanes were in a strong position to land former Arizona State quarterback Sam Leavitt after hosting him on a transfer portal visit over the weekend. However, by Monday, Leavitt announced where he’ll be playing college football in 2026—and it wasn’t in Coral Gables.
Despite a last-ditch effort from Tennessee, Leavitt ultimately chose to play for Lane Kiffin at LSU. This decision leaves the Hurricanes without a clear successor to Carson Beck for the 2026 season.
While the Hurricanes may have missed out on Leavitt, speculation has been swirling around another potential quarterback target.
According to Gay, “The Hurricanes’ official NIL offer to Simpson started at $4 million and quickly ballooned to $5 million within minutes before reaching the current offer.”
Rumors suggest that a move to Miami for Simpson had been in the works for several days. The 23-year-old junior threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and just five interceptions this past year. He recently declared for the 2026 NFL Draft after receiving feedback indicating he would be a first-round pick.
However, a $6.5 million NIL offer may be too enticing for Simpson to pass up—especially considering that he would need to be drafted within the first seven picks to earn as much or more playing professionally (the salary slot for the No. 8 pick in the 2026 draft is $5.6 million).
Two years ago, the Hurricanes convinced Cam Ward to skip the draft and play for them another year. That decision paid off, as Ward went No. 1 overall to the Tennessee Titans in the 2025 draft. They also persuaded Carson Beck to forgo the draft and play another year of college football, and he’s since led Miami to the College Football Playoff national championship game.
“Simpson has already stated his intention to turn pro, but so did Cam Ward, right?” On3 reported. “With Sorsby and Leavitt—top options that aren’t heading Miami’s way—the team could make a big offer to try and get Simpson to reconsider and stay in college.”
As the 2026 season approaches, the Hurricanes continue to explore opportunities to secure a quarterback who can carry the program forward. Fans will be watching closely to see if Miami can pull off a surprise signing or rely on internal development to fill the void left by Beck’s eventual departure.
https://www.newsweek.com/sports/ncaa/miami-offers-ty-simpson-record-breaking-deal-after-missing-on-sam-leavitt-11348844