Former Alabama QB tells how Ty Simpson should approach first start

Alabama will roll into the 2025 season with first-year starter, Ty Simpson, at quarterback.

Simpson is a redshirt junior who has sat behind NFL Draft picks like Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe and observed for the past few years. Now, Simpson has earned an opportunity to be the Crimson Tide’s starter.

On the latest episode of The Dynasty: A Podcast on the Alabama Crimson Tide, former Alabama quarterback, AJ McCarron broke down how Simpson should approach his first start.

“My mindset for him would be the same mindset I had going into my first year of starting,” McCarron said. “You have an experienced defense, right? The team is expecting a lot out of the defense. Let them control a lot of the game. Your biggest thing right now, especially in your first start, is come out, take care of the football, just don’t do anything crazy and play out of yourself from a sense of making mistakes and hurting the team.”

To paint a picture of what Simpson’s decision-making process should be like for the Florida State game, McCarron referenced a quote from Jim McElwain, who was Alabama’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach from 2008 to get 2011.

“Let’s take what the defense gives us,” McCarron said. “Jim McElwain used to say it all the time: ‘Touchdowns, checkdowns, take what the defense gives us, and eventually, they will give us the game.’ And I kind of lived by that my first year because I knew, hey, if you just take care of the ball, whether each possession ends on a kick, whether it’s a field goal or a punt, you’ve done your job for the most part right there because you’re at least giving your team a chance to rebound and bounce back some sort of way.”

Throughout the offseason, McCarron has been high on Simpson, and he believes Alabama fans and coaches should be patient with Simpson as he starts his first college football game on Aug. 30 at Florida State.