Ty Simpson and Gunner Stockton have traversed similar paths in their careers. Both were highly-ranked 2022 quarterbacks, and both stuck around at Alabama and Georgia, respectively, when they could have explored options in the Transfer Portal to give themselves an opportunity to start before now.
But both stuck it out, and now both are leading their programs in their redshirt junior seasons.
Both also had the full faith, trust, and confidence of their head coaches.
Alabama and Georgia were often listed as popular Transfer Portal landing spots for quarterbacks on the open market after last season. Simpson was unproven, and Stockton had left much to be desired in relief of an injured Carson Beck in the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff a year ago.
But Kalen DeBoer and Kirby Smart stuck to their guns. Neither pursued a portal solution at QB. They trusted that Simpson and Stockton could make the leap and lead their teams to National Championship contention.
Their faith has been quickly rewarded.
For Simpson, after some struggles in his first start against Florida State, he's been magnificent in Alabama's last two games. He's completed 41-of-46 passes for 608 yards and seven touchdowns through the air. Those numbers don't even tell the full story because a couple of costly drops in the Tide's win over Wisconsin kept his numbers from being what they could've been.
For Stockton, he passed a massive test a week ago in leading Georgia to a comeback win over Tennessee. Most figured Stockton could be an effective game manager for the Bulldogs, but he proved he could go shot-for-shot with an explosive offense in a shootout. He passed for over 300 yards with four total touchdowns in the Bulldogs' 44-41 overtime win over the Vols. He proved himself to be a gamer; he was the calm amidst the storm for Smart's team, and everyone else followed.
Now, the next test for the two QBs will be a head-to-head clash with the whole country watching.
Ty Simpson and Gunner Stockton's collision course comes to a head in Athens
For Simpson, this will be the biggest game of his life so far. A road matchup against an elite Georgia team, with Alabama already limping from a season-opening loss in Tallahassee. It's not a must-win, but it's pretty close. A 2-2 mark through four games would mean it's possible that Alabama needs to win its final eight regular-season games to get into the College Football Playoff, or, in the very least, get significant help from around the country.
For Stockton, he played in a bigger game against Notre Dame in the playoff last season and against Texas in the SEC Championship Game. But Smart and the Bulldogs have long had a Crimson monkey on their backs that Stockton will hope to exercise on Saturday night between the hedges. Georgia still has significant margin for error with an unblemished resume, but another loss to Alabama would be difficult to stomach for the Athens faithful.
If Simpson can lead Alabama to a win over Georgia on Saturday, all will be forgiven for the Tide's season-opening stumble. If Stockon delivers for the Bulldogs, it'll be another significant step toward the playoff and a potential SEC Championship, all the while maybe finally putting to rest the narrative surrounding their struggles vs. Alabama.
Regardless of which QB emerges victorious, it's clear that both have been much better than pundits believed. Both teams have quarterbacks capable of leading their teams to victory on Saturday night.