Simpson's Teammates Have No Doubt He'll be Ready

Tuscaloosa, AL. - Ty Simpson cleared the first hurdle he faced for the 2025 season - he won the starting quarterback job at Alabama.

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It's not the biggest hurdle Simpson will face this season, as he still has yet to make his first start. That will come on Saturday as Alabama takes on the Florida State Seminoles in the opening game of the Crimson Tide's 2025 season. Simpson has taken the field before and won Alabama's sluggish contest with South Florida in 2023. Simpson's first real test of 2025 will come when he takes the first snap in Tallahassee, Florida.

Making your first career start can be nerve-racking, especially when it comes on the road. But Simpson's teammates do not doubt that their QB1 is ready for the bright lights on Saturday.

"I'd say [it's] his focus," center Parker Brailsford said Tuesday. "He's already watching film before pretty much everybody else is here. He's a guy that, he can sustain his focus for long periods of time. That specifically, just him being able to prepare in that way... I know he'll be ready."

Simpson's preparation is already that of a starter, with sophomore wide receiver Ryan Williams saying that he's in the facility before the sun rises, at 4 or 5 a.m.

"I think that Ty's been ready for a while," Williams said. "Just with the way he's attacked this offseason... I'm bumping into him, I'm going to get stretched, and he's coming out of the film room. Little things like that, it's all about preparation, and he's prepared.

That was the message Simpson got from former Crimson Tide quarterbacks and former Alabama head coach Nick Saban.

"Trust your preparation,' Simpson said. "Trust your confidence, and just go play, man."

"I'm super proud of Ty, just not only as a football player, but as a leader," Williams said. "He's evolved as a human being, if I'm being honest. That's the simplest way I can [put] it. Even with his confidence throwing the ball. He's letting it go."

Simpson and Williams will need to be on the same page on Saturday as Alabama takes on Florida State in Tallahassee, Florida.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.