Ty Simpson reveals former Alabama QB Greg McElory congratulated him on starting job

In the early days of the Nick Saban era in Tuscaloosa, it was Greg McElroy that bided his time for two seasons behind an entrenched starting quarterback before finally getting his opportunity to run out of the tunnel as Alabama‘s QB1 as a junior. The rest is history, of course, as McElroy helped guide the 2009 Crimson Tide to the program’s first of six national championships in 17 seasons under Saban and the program’s first since 1992.

Now, 16 years later, Ty Simpson is following in McElroy’s footsteps after the redshirt junior quarterback was named Alabama’s starting QB entering the 2025 season after back-to-back seasons of backing up to dual-threat talent Jalen Milroe. That reality made the first congratulatory text Simpson received after news of his promotion broke Monday afternoon all the more special for the former five-star QB.

“Greg McElroy texted me (first), which was really cool, I look up to him a lot,” Simpson said during his first media availability following Tuesday’s preseason practice. “A bunch of my family, a bunch of my friends, a bunch of guys that transferred out have reached out, and that means a lot because I’m a big relationship person. I’m a people person, so guys that left, I really try to connect with them in a lot of different ways. I understand why they left, but I just want them to know they can always count on me and understand that I’ll be there for them in anything they need.

“I think I take that into my game too, understanding that I’m going to be the best teammate I can be and make sure I’m going to do everything I can to help our team win.”

Now, when it comes to the first people Simpson personally told after learning he was Alabama’s new QB1, there was only one option — his parents.

“Definitely my family. … I think my mom and dad started crying or whatever, it was surreal,” Simpson said. “I called my dad later that night and took a nap.”

It was a well-earned phone call after Simpson beat out serious competition from former Washington transfer Austin Mack and Five-Star Plus+ freshman Keelon Russell for the Tide’s QB1 job this offseason.

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.