It's hard not to root for a guy like Ty Simpson, especially in this era of college football where players transfer freely the moment adversity hits. Simpson has spent three years on the bench at Alabama, despite being a former 5-star recruit who could have easily found a starting job somewhere else had he sought it out.
Instead, Simpson waited. He sat behind Bryce Young, then Jalen Milroe. He was the Tide's primary backup for the last two seasons behind Milroe. At times, it had to be undeniably frustrating for Simpson not to get an opportunity, especially when the offense sputtered last season in Knoxville, Norman, and again in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Now, Milroe is in the NFL, and Simpson is the leader in the clubhouse to finally be Alabama's starting quarterback. He'll have to hold off talented young guys in Austin Mack and 5-star phenom Keelon Russell, but all signs point toward Simpson taking the first snaps in Tallahassee to open the 2025 season.
Simpson is currently in Louisiana attending the Manning Passing Academy as a counselor. He spoke to the media and gave a couple of revealing quotes that should make all Alabama fans even more fired up about the guy who is likely to lead the team into battle next year.
Simpson talked about his decision to stick around in Tuscaloosa and not seek other opportunities in the Transfer Portal:
“I’m not gonna sit here and say it wasn’t hard, because there were some days where I felt like God wasn’t on my side and I didn’t really understand his plan,” said Simpson.
“But I prayed about it, and at the end of the day, there wasn’t anywhere else where I wanted to play. I felt that God had put me in Tuscaloosa for a reason. I always felt like I could accomplish everything that I could, still to this day, with winning a national championship and being a first-round pick there at the University of Alabama.
"There was nowhere else I'd rather be than the University of Alabama."
Leading Alabama to the National Championship is Simpson's singular focus
Four college football seasons have come and gone without Alabama winning a National Championship. The Tide's last title came in 2020. It is now, perhaps unbelievably, the longest National Championship drought for the football program since the 17-year gap between Gene Stallings leading the Crimson Tide to the 1992 title and Nick Saban's first championship in Tuscaloosa in 2009.
The mantra of this team is getting back to the Alabama standard. Unlike last season, when it felt like it was mostly just talk, this Crimson Tide team seems focused and driven. By all accounts, this offseason has been a resounding success for Kalen DeBoer and his program, something Simpson readily acknowledged:
“This place is built on toughness and understands we’re doing the things that nobody else does,” said Simpson. “Coach DeBoer has modeled that with his philosophies, as well, and I think we’ve had one of the best offseasons in my four years of being here.
“Our standard is championships and winning games, and being physical. And so after seeing last year and leaving that bad taste in our mouths, everybody was like, ‘We’ve gotta do something different. We can’t be like last year."
Alabama is as talented as any team in the country. If they want to get back to the standard and have a legitimate shot at winning the National Championship, Simpson will have to play well. A lot of Alabama's success rests on his shoulders.
Can he be the QB Alabama needs? Or will he falter and force DeBoer to pass the baton off to Russell or Mack?
Simpson is putting in the work. He's won the team over. Now, it's time to execute on the field.
All quotes come from the below video of Simpson being interviewed at the Manning Passing Academy, published by Crescent City Sports: