Heading into his fourth season at Alabama, it's finally Ty Simpson's turn at Alabama. After redshirting in 2022, Simpson lost the QB battle to Jalen Milroe in 2022 and served as Milroe's backup for two seasons. He waited when many would have left, especially in the free transfer era. He waited because he wanted to be here. Because playing for the University of Alabama meant something to him.
Now, Simpson will get to fulfill the first part of a consistent dream he has had since he committed to Alabama four years ago. On Monday night, Simpson was officially announced as the Crimson Tide's starting quarterback.
It's the ending of that dream, however, that will have Alabama football fans fired up.
“Yeah, well, it ended in confetti in Miami, Florida,” Simpson told Yea-Alabama about his dream. “Especially with the chance to leave a legacy under Kalen DeBoer, a first national championship at Alabama. So I’m looking forward to the challenge.”
Miami is the site of the 2026 College Football Playoff National Championship that will take place on January 19th. Make no mistake about it, regardless of how last season went, the standard remains the same in Tuscaloosa, and the No. 1 goal is unchanged: to win the National Championship.
Simpson has been handed the keys to a championship contender. Alabama is loaded all over, and if he can play his position well, this team is every bit good enough to be the last team standing while the confetti falls.
Kalen DeBoer says Ty Simpson is easy to root for
In certain ways, Alabama's new starting quarterback is an enigma in this era of college football. In an era where players can transfer freely, it's exceedingly rare for a player to sit on the bench for three years at any one school. It's especially rare when that position is quarterback.
Simpson could have transferred before last season. He could have left in the wake of Nick Saban's decision to retire. He would have found a starting opportunity somewhere, and he'd be entering his second season as a starting quarterback in 2025 instead of needing to duke it out with Austin Mack and Keelon Russell this offseason to earn the role.
But it speaks to the love Simpson has for this University that he stayed when others would have surely left. It makes him easy to root for, for fans, the coaching staff, and his teammates.
“That’s what’s great, and why I love rooting for Ty, is just the journey he’s been on and the way he’s been loyal to Alabama, loyal to his teammates,” DeBoer told Yea Alabama. “He continued to stay and keep fighting and do it in a way where he never lowered his level of character, and always kept being a great teammate, first and foremost. So it makes it really easy, from a teammate standpoint, to root for him.”
Simpson's loyalty has made him a fan favorite in Tuscaloosa. Crimson Tide fans are hoping he gets his Mac Jones moment. Jones sat and waited his turn for three years before taking over as the team's starting QB in 2020 and then leading Alabama to an undefeated National Championship season.
Simpson doing the same would be the dream ending he covets.