Remember what Ryan Grubb said about Ty Simpson at the end of the spring? “If we’re playing a football game tomorrow, Ty Simpson would start. And he earned that,” the Alabama coach sounded all confident about Simpson. Not just the coaches. The analysts, too, sang high in Simpson’s praise. 

For instance, BamaOnline’s Clint Lamb made a bold prediction. He said, “I think he [Simpson] is way more consistent with ball placement and accuracy than Jalen Milroe.” Looks like Kalen DeBoer has taken everything into account before passing on his QB1 torch. As per the latest buzz, Simpson is said to be the confirmed name for the starter’s role. That’s when one of his old interviews started to do the rounds on social media. 

On3’s Pete Nakos reported that Simpson will be Alabama‘s starting quarterback for the 2025 season. As per the reports, the decision was made in front of the entire team on Monday, August 11. After serving as the backup for Milroe, it was time for Simpson to boost himself up. And what better way to do that than appearing at the Manning Passing Academy? Back in June, from the Academy, he talked confidently about what he brings to the table as a quarterback. The video was reposted by sports reporter Arielle Schafer on August 11. In the video, Simpson said, “I feel like I’m gonna be tough, I’m gonna be accurate, I’m gonna make sure that we give our offense the best chance to win in any situation. I feel like I’ve waited my turn.”

He continued, “And I’ve learned a lot from those guys, and I understand with my dad being a coach, I’ve got a mind for football. I’m just excited to be able to play for the university I love, in front of the people that love and with the people I love.” Now, how did it feel for Simpson to hear his name, beating Austin Mack and Keelon Russell?

Well, three years is a really long time for someone to sit on the bench. However, for Simpson, it has indeed been an enlightening experience to be sitting behind Heisman winner Bryce Young and dynamic Milroe. As he spent the 2024 season as the second-string quarterback, he said that the 2024 season “wasn’t the standard of Alabama football.” He, along with his mates, is now fueled by “that bad taste in our mouths” after losses to Vanderbilt, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Michigan.

Equipped with the most experience in the Alabama quarterback room, coming with 29-of-50 yards and 381 yards in his three years in Tuscaloosa, DeBoer has named him the starter. And now that the moment has arrived, Simpson is reliving the moment over and over again.

Alabama legend protects Ty Simpson’s confidence

In an interview Yea Alabama, Simpson shared how DeBoer made the announcement. “[Ryan] Grubb, [Nick] Sheridan and [Kalen] DeBoer came in our quarterback meetings earlier, and it was just like, ‘Hey guys, we’ve come to a decision and Ty is going to be our starter,” shared the quarterback. “They went through the Xs and Os of why I would be the starter and said they were really, really proud of the QB room for how tight-knit we were.” It must be the music to his ears. Now, it’s time for fans to take the Alabama legend’s reminder seriously.

The ceiling is high for Simpson. After all, he will have to fill the shoes of Milroe, who recorded 78 career touchdowns (45 passing, 33 rushing) to rank fourth in Crimson Tide history. So, it’s obvious that Simpson would take some time to reach Milroe’s level of greatness. Till then, he should be marked safe from pushback. That’s the message, Alabama alum A.J. McCarron came up with for the fans.

The Touchdown Alabama Magazine IG reposted McCarron’s message to not make things hard for Ty Simpson. The Alabama alum pleaded with Tide fans on the latest episode of The Dynasty podcast. “Bama fans need to understand this and have some patience with Ty. I don’t want this kid to lose his confidence off of some tough games or some tough throws or bad decisions. Let him gain his confidence,” said McCarron. To make his plea more trustworthy, McCarron shared his own experience.

“When you look at my first year, when I first started, and this is how I’m kind of looking at Ty for this year, it was, we have a great defense in 2011, we had great running backs, let’s lean on Trent [Richardson]. And then, when it got late in the year, we know these teams are going to load the box. We know they’re going to play more man-to-man coverage. Now, it’s on you,” reminded McCarron. But what makes fans listen to Alabama legend? Well, he has a big fan base. He won two national championships (2011,2012) as a starter under GOAT Nick Saban. August 30, Alabama’s road face-off against the Florida State Seminoles will be Simpson’s first litmus test.