“Just really focused on Michigan right now,” Alabama football’s backup quarterback said on Saturday. “Just focused on Michigan. Whatever my future holds, whatever God tells me to do, I’m really looking forward to it.”
Simpson, a redshirt freshman from Martin, Tenn., has been Alabama’s primary backup throughout the 2023 season. Unfortunately for him, redshirt sophomore Jalen Milroe is coming back for another season.
In today’s college football landscape, and with more quarterbacks entering the picture at Alabama every season, it might be hard for Simpson to come back, especially if he could get playing time at another school. But for now, the young signal-caller is just looking forward to Monday’s Rose Bowl.
“It’s been stressful for sure,” Simpson said of the Crimson Tide’s roller-coaster ride of a 2023 season. “But it’s been awesome to see how the team’s come together and fought through adversity and here we’re one step away from accomplishing all of our goals.”
Simpson competed for the job throughout fall camp and the early goings of the season with Milroe, along with Tyler Buchner. Milroe got the first two starts of the season, but struggled against Texas, leading Nick Saban to explore other options in Week 3 at South Florida.
Tyler Buchner got the start, but struggled early, and Simpson got in. He did enough to win the game, but not enough to win the starting job.
“Coach Saban came in and said ‘You’re gonna warm up,’” Simpson said. “I’m gonna be honest, I was pretty nervous. I didn’t think I’d play or whatever. But I think I’ve grown a lot from that game. And if I had to play that game again, I think it’d be a lot different.”
Eventually, the Crimson Tide managed to pull itself together, leading to the current College Football Playoff matchup with Michigan in the Rose Bowl. From afar, that started against Ole Miss, with Milroe back behind center.
But the first flash of real competence came at the end of the USF game, with Simpson quarterbacking Alabama. After getting the ball back with 6:29 left, Saban told his team to take the clock and the game.
Led by Simpson, it did just that, running 5:56 off and scoring a QB sneak touchdown. Since then, things have gotten better, even with Simpson back on the bench.
“I like to say that was the turning point of our season,” Simpson said. “Like, we’re gonna overcome a lot, and that drive right there, you can kind of see that everything sparked from there. I’m really proud of this team and everything that we’ve done, and I’m really looking forward to what we’re about to accomplish.”
And even if he doesn’t come back, Simpson has still seen the positives from his time in Tuscaloosa.
“I feel like I’ve gained a lot of experience, but also grown a lot,” Simpson said. “I feel like I’m a night and day different player. I feel like the team has confidence in me if I have to go in and I feel like the coaches have confidence in me. I’m really excited about my future, my growth.”
Alabama and Michigan are set to kick off at 4 p.m. CT on Monday. The game will be aired on ESPN.
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