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A Daniel Jones with fewer physical traits; mid-level starter at best, backup at worst. A one-year starter at Alabama, Simpson operated in the modern-day spread scheme of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb (Simpson’s third offensive coordinator in four years in Tuscaloosa). He bided his time as an underclassman behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, and he’d earned his degree before throwing his first collegiate touchdown (1, 365 days passed between his final high school TD and his first in college). He accounted for 30 touchdowns in 2025 and led the Tide to the SEC championship, although the first half of the season (20 big-time throws, five turnover-worthy plays) was much more consistent than the second (10 and 12, respectively). With his background as the son of a longtime college coach, Simpson received a quarterback education from a young age, and it shows in his mechanics and operation. He doesn’t have any top-tier physical traits but displays a good-enough arm and the mobility to move the launch point (left or right) on naked keepers/boots. He is generally an accurate passer who can digest defensive concepts and read out the entire field. However, he made just 15 career starts, and that lack of experience manifests in his decision-making and precision. He eliminates things quickly — but often too quickly and turns down throws about to come open. Simpson has the command and process of an NFL quarterback, but he needs valuable experience to be more efficient in his reads, and to better understand what is open and what isn’t. He projects as a low-level NFL starter, with the ceiling of a mid-level starter and floor of a backup (reminiscent of Daniel Jones with lesser physical traits). Advertisement Tap any column header to see its definition. Note: Combine:  Position drills only (choice). Advertisement Tap any column header to see its definition. Ty Simpson, the oldest of three children in his family, was raised by his parents (Jason and Julie). His father, whom Ty calls his “best friend, ” was a quarterback and outfielder at Mississippi State (1990-92) before transferring to Southern Miss (1993-94), where he narrowed his focus to one sport and became an all-conference baseball player. Jason later began his football coaching career as quarterbacks coach at Jacksonville State (1997-99) and Texas State (2000-02). The family relocated to Tennessee after Jason was named offensive coordinator at Tennessee-Chattanooga (2003-2005). He then became head coach at Tennessee-Martin, where he recently completed his 20th season at the helm (129-96 career record). Julie grew up in Madison, Tenn. , and her father (Bernard) often leads the Tennessee-Martin team in prayer before games. Ty’s younger sister (Emma) helped Westview High to back-to-back basketball state championships. Ty’s younger brother (Graham) is a three-star quarterback in the 2028 recruiting class and holds offers from Alabama, Auburn, Oklahoma and several others. Ty Simpson was 3 years old when his father became Skyhawks head coach, and he grew up in the Tennessee-Martin locker room and received his football education on the practice field. His time around the program gave him a headstart when he started playing quarterback at the youth level. He continued playing quarterback at Martin Middle School. Though he enjoyed playing football, Simpson was a better baseball player growing up and expected his future to be on the diamond. He led his Little League teams to multiple titles, including a 2014 World Series championship and the Cal Ripken 12U West Tennessee state title. He then played travel ball for Dulin’s Dodgers. Growing up, Simpson also played basketball and enjoyed hunting. Simpson attended Westview High School in Martin, Tenn. , where he was a three-sport standout. He became starting quarterback on varsity as a freshman in 2018 and completed 48 percent of his passes for 1, 048 yards, eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions, as Westview finished 2-8. As a sophomore in 2019, Simpson helped Westview to six wins and a spot in the Class 3A state playoffs. He again led Westview to the playoffs as a junior and played through a severely sprained right ankle with three torn ligaments. He finished the 2020 season with 61. 1 percent completions, 1, 888 passing yards and 27 total touchdowns (20 passing, seven rushing). Simpson had his best season as a senior, when he helped lead Westview to a 15-1 record and the 2021 Class 2A state championship, the first in school history (Simpson was title-game MVP). He finished his final season with 64. 2 percent completions, 2, 921 passing yards, 1, 206 rushing yards and 59 total touchdowns (44 passing, 15 rushing). Simpson was named Tennessee’s Gatorade Player of the Year and selected to the All-American Bowl. He also lettered in baseball and basketball at Westview before deciding to focus on football. A five-star quarterback, Simpson was the third-ranked quarterback in the 2022 class (behind Cade Klubnik and Conner Weigman) and the No. 2 recruit in Tennessee (behind Walter Nolen). He was the No. 26 recruit nationally. Simpson put his name on the recruiting radar in seventh grade after throwing at a Mississippi State football camp. He received his first scholarship offer, from Jim Harbaugh and Michigan, in eighth grade (March 2018) and added offers from Kentucky, Mississippi State and Tennessee before he’d even taken a snap in high school. He ultimately held more than 40 offers before cutting down the list to 10: Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M and Tennessee-Martin. Former Tennessee head coach Jeremy Pruitt was prepared to hire Ty’s father as quarterbacks coach in January 2021 (and, thus, help Pruitt recruit Ty), but Tennessee fired Pruitt after an internal investigation into potential recruiting violations; Ty Simpson committed to Alabama a month later. He was the second-ranked recruit in Nick Saban’s 2022 class (behind Jihaad Campbell).   Stuck behind Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, Simpson spent his first three years in the program on the bench. However, he decided to stay — even after Saban retired — because of his “love” for the school, its fans and his teammates.   Simpson earned an undergraduate degree (December 2024) and master’s degree (December 2025) from Alabama. He received NIL offers reported to be in the $4-$6. 5-million range from Miami, Ole Miss and Tennessee to be a grad transfer in 2026 but turned those down and remained in the draft. Advertisement Written by Dane Brugler; designed and produced by Junghye Kim, Thomas Oide and Yuriko Schumacher; illustrations by Mojo Wang; edited by Chris Burke and Skye Gould; art direction by Dan Goldfarb and Will Tullos; additional development by Elijah Soria, Laura Pelton, Matt Myers and Oliver Viehweger; additional production by Dan Goldfarb, Kelsea Petersen, Demetrius Robinson and Drew Jordan; additional editing by Ken Bradley, Adam Coleman, Alison Cotsonika, David De Chant, Jimmy Durkin, Gary Gramling, Adam Hirshfield, Cristina Ledra, Dave Niinemets, Mike Sansone, Dan Steinberg and Josiah Turner. Sources: Select data from footballreference. com and Pro Football Focus.