For most of the new starting QBs in 2025, the coming week could be a mix of excitement and anxiety. For Ty Simpson, the spotlight is burning. After years of waiting behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, the redshirt junior is finally getting his shot to lead Alabama into the season opener against Florida State. “He’s invested a lot of time into this program,” HC Kalen DeBoer said. “It means a lot to him. Now, when he’s been the quarterback, named the quarterback, he’s taken it to another level and put himself out there front and center.” And just as the nation leans in to see what the kid’s got, a familiar Crimson Tide voice offers advice from experience. 

In an X post on August 23, Touchdown Alabama Magazine shared AJ McCarron’s advice to Ty Simpson which he said on The Dynasty: A Podcast on the Alabama Crimson Tide. “My mindset for him would be the same mindset I had going into my first year of starting. You have an experienced defense… Let them control a lot of the game,” he said with proven confidence. “Take care of the football,” he said, revealing the 5-word tip. “Just don’t do anything crazy and play out of yourself from a sense of making mistakes and hurting the team.” And that’s called survival tactics in the SEC. 

AJ McCarron gave Ty Simpson the exact formula that once turned him from a redshirt into a champion. It came straight from former OC Jim McElwain. “Touchdowns, checkdowns, take what the defense gives us, and eventually, they’ll give us the game.” The message is simple. Don’t force hero throws. If the defense gifts you a checkdown, take it. If nothing’s there, punt and let Alabama’s defense do what it does. Let it dominate. Every possession ending in a kick, whether a field goal or punt, is better than giving Florida State life.

It’s the same steady approach that carried AJ McCarron in 2011. He wasn’t dazzling defenses with 70-yard bombs. He was patient, efficient, and ruthless in avoiding mistakes. That discipline led to 2,634 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, just five interceptions, and a BCS crystal football. Ty Simpson shouldn’t try to be Bryce Young or Jalen Milroe. Be the QB who understands that patience and football security are weapons, too. And in Tallahassee, that might be the difference between a shaky debut and a statement win. And that’s where Mike Norvell enters the scene. 

Mike Norvell’s view on Ty Simpson

Saturday was Day 14 of Florida State’s preseason camp. And while the Seminoles wrapped up depth-building drills, Mike Norvell faced a big question – how do you prepare for a QB who’s basically a mystery? TY Simpson’s film is thin, and his resume is thinner with just 50 career passes. But the HC didn’t blink. “He’s been in their program for a good while, and he’s developed,” he said. “You got a lot of respect for Ty.”

Besides, Ty Simpson is from a football family. As Mike Norvell recalled, “When I was at Memphis, obviously, his dad [Jason] was coaching up at UT Martin, a great coach.” Jason Simpson turned UT-Martin into an OVC contender. So his words were clear. He respects the QB’s roots, but he’s not losing sleep. His focus is on Florida State’s health, recovery, and depth heading into game week. But deep down, he knows the danger. 

Alabama doesn’t hand out captaincies for free, and Ty Simpson’s already been named a permanent leader alongside Deontae Lawson, Tim Keenan III, and Parker Brailsford. That’s the sort of nod that tells you the locker room is all-in on him even before his first career touchdown pass. So yeah, his debut will carry not just the weight of Alabama tradition but also the voices of his coach, his teammates, and the echoes of AJ McCarron’s five-word football code.