Ty Simpson describes himself as ‘dual-threat’ QB, promises to ‘do the gritty stuff’

Alabama has had its fair share of elite athletes at the quarterback position, especially over the past decade. From Jalen Hurts combining for more than 1,800 rushing yards between 2016-17 to Jalen Milore leading the Crimson Tide ground attack with 726 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns last season, Alabama has had plenty of talented playmakers at QB.

Now, a day after being formally named as the Crimson Tide’s starting quarterback ahead of the 2025 season, Ty Simpson is ready to add his name to the list of Alabama’s dynamic dual-threat QBs. When asked to describe his individual game following Tuesday’s preseason practice, the redshirt junior quarterback said he’s “going to do the gritty stuff” to win.

“I feel like I’m a dual-threat guy. I can sit in the pocket or escape and make plays. But I also think an underrated part of my game is that I’m going to do what it takes to win. I’m going to do the gritty stuff, I’m going to make sure we get the first down when it’s fourth-and-3, you know what I mean?” Simpson said Tuesday, according to BamaOnline. “Those guys make me look good in that locker room, with our wide receivers, our running back group, our O-line. I’m so excited about these guys. They make me look good, so I’ve got to make sure I give them everything that I’ve got.

“That’s why I tell them every day when I go in the huddle, ‘Man, I’m going to go hard for you today.’ We talk about being unbreakable all the time, and the only way I’m unbreakable is if we’re all unbreakable together as an offensive team.”

Simpson signed with Alabama as a five-star quarterback out of Westview (Martin, Tenn.) High as the nation’s second-ranked quarterback and No. 25 overall player in the 2022 recruiting class, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings, a weighted average that utilizes all three major recruiting media services.

Ty Simpson reacts to being named Alabama starting QB

Throughout the summer, the sense was Ty Simpson cemented himself as the frontrunner to become Alabama’s starting quarterback. The redshirt junior was battling former Washington transfer Austin Mack and freshman Keelon Russell for the job.

Monday, it became official. Kalen DeBoer informed the team that Simpson will be the starter this season, beginning with the season opener Aug. 30 against Florida State. First, though, a conversation took place with the quarterback room.

“We had a quarterback meeting, and it was just us three then [Ryan] Grubb, Coach [Nick] Sheridan, and Coach DeBoer were in there,” Simpson told reporters Tuesday. “They were just like, ‘Guys, hey, we’re going to name Ty the starter today.’ We went from there.

“They were really appreciative of me. They congratulated me, Austin and Keelon did, and they just told me to go get it. I can’t thank those guys enough because I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t push me every single day.”

When Simpson first arrived at Alabama in 2022, he preserved a redshirt as Bryce Young returned as the starter. Jalen Milroe then won the starting job in 2023 before running it back in 2024, meaning Simpson was again in a backup role.

“It was surreal, for sure – something I’ve dreamed about since I came here,” Simpson said. “But I’m not going to sit here and say it was nothing I didn’t expect. I feel like I worked my tail off for it. I’m just excited for the opportunity to go out there with my guys and compete each and every day.”

— On3’s Nick Schultz contributed to this report.