Kalen DeBoer reveals his stance on Ty Simpson Heisman candidacy

Things started off rough for Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson this season, but he has been the best quarterback in the SEC since the Tide’s season-opening loss to Florida State. Since that loss, Alabama has won seven consecutive games (including four against ranked opponents) and sit at No. 4 in the country.

Through eight games this season, Simpson has thrown for 2,184 yards, 20 touchdowns and just one interception. In their four games against ranked opponents, Simpson threw nine touchdowns to just one interception. With just five weeks remaining in the college football season, many have tabbed him as the frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy.

During an appearance on ‘The Triple Option‘ podcast, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer revealed just how much Simpson means to him and the team.

“He means so much to us with what he’s doing,” DeBoer said. “There’s great players across the country doing things for their teams as well, but Ty is doing it all. From the work on the football field, which I know matters a lot, and the decision of that when it comes to best player in the country, Heisman, all of that kinda stuff. He’s making the throws at critical times and leading you on game-winning drives on the road. He’s responding when the other team scores and he’s firing away to come back with the offense and do it. And he’s also a genuine leader, and that genuine part is the part I’m emphasizing.”

“There’s leaders that are out there, but there are some that have an influence that don’t have what you want. He’s just really stepped up and what he says, he means. It comes from his heart and our guys know that. How can you not root for a guy that had opportunities to go elsewhere, but he stuck it out here because he wants to do it here. He’s got such tight relationships and to see it happening and evolving, I just hope the whole country sees it.”

DeBoer discusses Simpson’s performance against South Carolina

Calling into the Alabama coaches radio show on Wednesday, Kalen DeBoer discussed his quarterback’s big-time performance late in the game against South Carolina during Week 9. Chris Stewart, the Crimson Tide’s play-by-play announcer and host of Hey Coach and the Kalen DeBoer Show, questioned how anyone could have Simpson’s name off their Heisman Trophy list at this point in the season.

“Making the throws on the road, converting on a bunch of third downs, the fourth down touchdown at the end of the half (vs. South Carolina),” DeBoer said, listing Simpson’s Heisman-like qualities. “You kind of forget about that one. And how big of a throw that was, how big of a call, good execution.”

“Ty, fourth quarter there, that last drive, just really confident going out,” DeBoer continued. “That confidence is contagious and the rest of the guys that are around him — if your quarterbacks believing, then you’re off to a good start. I think it was really what spearheaded a lot of the confidence the guys had. Especially as they built momentum throughout the course of that drive there at the end of the game.”

Simpson and his Alabama team will look to continue their march to the College Football Playoff next Saturday against LSU.

On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this article.