After two seasons with the Alabama Crimson Tide, tight end CJ Dippre headed to the NFL.
Before the draft commences in April, Dippre shared some insight into the Alabama quarterback battle. Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell and Austin Mack are all in the running.
Dippre weighed in on the battle, predicting a massive step forward from Simpson in 2025 on the "Beat Everyone" podcast.
Dippre transferred to Alabama after spending two seasons with the Maryland Terrapins. He had 443 receiving yards on 32 receptions from 2023-24 with Alabama.
Simpson has played in 16 total games at Alabama but has not had any starting minutes.
“Yeah, 100%,” Dippre said. “I thought this past 2024 season throughout practices, from 2023 to 2024, I thought Ty made the biggest step, out of anybody on the team. I think he stepped up, and again, he played second-string quarterback, and to play second-string quarterback with how much he led was big. Not a lot of people are going to sit there and lead. ...“I think he’s going to be really good."
Simpson was a former five-star prospect in the 2022 class. He was the No. 25 overall player and No. 2 quarterback in his class, per the On3 Industry Rankings.
Over the last three seasons, Simpson has accounted for 381 passing yards. He began his Alabama career by backing up Bryce Young in 2022. Simpson then was the backup for Jalen Milroe for the last two seasons.
Milroe headed to the NFL following the 2024 season. He accounted for 2,844 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 726 rushing yards and 20 touchdowns.
Kalen DeBoer led Alabama to a 9-4 record in his first season in charge. Alabama opens the 2025 season against the Florida State Seminoles on Aug. 30.
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