BamaCentral’s staff writers react to the news of Simpson’s new role.
Alabama has determined its guy at quarterback. Redshirt junior Ty Simpson was named the starting quarterback in front of the team in a meeting on Monday.
Watch the above video as Alabama Crimson Tide on SI writers Katie Windham and Joe Gaither react to Ty Simpson being named Alabama’s starting quarterback and discuss what this means for the Crimson Tide in 2025.
Simpson had been in the lead of the Crimson Tide’s quarterback competition since the spring. At the end of spring, offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb said Simpson would be the quarterback if the season started tomorrow, but the competition continued into fall camp with redshirt sophomore Austin Mack and true freshman Keelon Russell when Grubb said he wanted to see consistency out of Simpson.
He has apparently shown enough consistency after Alabama’s first scrimmage on Saturday to win the job. Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said there were no interceptions in Saturday’s scrimmage and very few at all throughout fall camp. DeBoer had originally said he wanted to name a starter by the end of the second scrimmage, but the staff must be confident in Simpson’s abilities to lead the team at this point.
This shows that Simpson has earned the trust of the coaching staff and the team. The quarterback is the leader of the team and has to win over the locker room. Simpson’s teammates have been speaking highly of him since the quarterback competition began.
Simpson is now entering his fourth year with the program, sitting behind Bryce Young in 2022 and Jalen Milroe in 2023 and 2024. In the age of the transfer portal and NIL, Simpson is a quarterback anomaly, waiting his turn and staying at one school for three seasons as backup.
“My journey is like no other,” Simpson told Yea Alabama. “And I think it meant a lot to the guys as well, knowing that I’ve had opportunities to leave and I didn’t because I want to be here and I want to be with my guys. Not only is it hard, sitting and waiting in this new era of college football, but you are sitting and waiting at the best, most competitive college football program in the nation. So I’m very excited for the opportunity I’ve been given.”
He has not started or a game at the collegiate level, nor thrown for a touchdown, but he does have 381 total yards through the air and 130 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
Alabama only has three scholarship quarterbacks on its 2025 roster, so it was imperative for the coaching staff to retain all three for the season. The No. 8 Crimson Tide is now just under three weeks away from the season opener on Aug. 30 at Florida State.
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