Mike Norvell unpacks how Florida State will prepare for Ty Simpson

Last week, Florida State‘s defense finally learned which quarterback it will be facing off against in its season-opener against Alabama. The Crimson Tide officially named Ty Simpson its starting quarterback and the Seminoles are preparing accordingly.

However, there isn’t much to work with when reviewing Simpson’s film. On Saturday, Florida State head coach Mike Norvell revealed how the team will approach scouting a quarterback who’s had limited snaps at the collegiate level.

“He’s played a little bit, but I mean, you always take a look at any previous experience on a field, and as a high school quarterback, you’ll take a glimpse of that,” Norvell said. “He’s been in their program for a good while, and he’s developed. I mean, you got a lot of respect for Ty.

“When I was at Memphis, obviously, his dad was coaching up at UT Martin, a great coach. He’s from a football family. He’s a really good football player, and he’s kind of waited his time for the opportunity. So I’ve got a good sense of how talented he was coming out, and I know they’re really pleased with the way that he’s developed.”

Simpson is entering his redshirt junior season and has 16 career appearances. However, he’s been limited in those appearances, only amassing 29 total completions for 381 yards without throwing a touchdown or an interception.

Norvell and his staff will have to resort to Simpson’s footage from high school to build a more complete scout of the quarterback. Simpson was a five-star prospect and the No. 2 overall quarterback in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Rankings.

In his senior season, Simpson tallied 2,827 passing yards and 41 touchdowns while throwing just three interceptions. Simpson also rushed for 862 yards and 11 scores on 92 carries. For his efforts, he was named the Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year.

If Simpson can conjure any of his success from his high school days during Week 1, Florida State’s defense will have a tall task ahead of it. There’s no shortage of pressure on the Seminoles after posting a 2-10 record last season.

FSU’s defense was a significant factor in its woes, giving up 385.9 yards per game. In turn, the program hired Tony White this offseason to be its defensive coordinator. White will look to help the Seminoles shut down Simpson and Alabama in the season-opening showdown.

Florida State and Alabama will square off at 3:30 p.m. ET on Aug. 30. The game will air live on ABC.