He could have a big year.
Paul Finebaum Names New Starting College Football QB He's 'Very High' On originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The 2025 college football season will feature some new faces at quarterback for several top programs. The Miami Hurricanes are starting the Carson Beck era, the Texas Longhorns are transitioning to Arch Manning, and the Georgia Bulldogs are entering the Gunner Stockton era.
The Alabama Crimson Tide are entering a new era with redshirt junior Ty Simpson expected to take over as the starting quarterback. He will replace Jalen Milroe, who declared for the 2025 NFL Draft and is a member of the Seattle Seahawks. Last season, Milroe passed for 2,844 yards, recorded 16 touchdowns and threw 11 interceptions. Additionally, he led the team in rushing with 726 yards and scored 20 rushing touchdowns.
On "The Paul Finebaum Show," the SEC Network analyst expressed high expectations for Simpson this upcoming season.
"My thoughts on Ty Simpson are very high," Finebaum said. "I'm really excited to see him play because I think he has experience. He's got a pedigree. He may not be in the Keelon Russell recruiting book type of fame, but very few players are. But I think he has a lot of real-life under-center experience, and I think that matters."
Finebaum expressed his belief that Simpson will perform exceptionally well this season, potentially ranking among the best players in the SEC by the end of the year. Because of this, Finebaum is confident that Alabama will have a strong chance of making a deep run in the College Football Playoff.
Simpson is competing for the starting position against Austin Mack, who followed head coach Kalen DeBoer from the Washington Huskies, and five-star recruit Keelon Russell, who is part of the 2025 recruiting class.
Even though Simpson was a former five-star prospect, he has only thrown 50 passes at Alabama, accumulating a total of 381 yards. Mack has attempted just three passes, while Russell has not thrown a single pass. The Crimson Tide opted for a practice session instead of a traditional spring game scrimmage, which means fans did not get to see the three quarterbacks compete in a game-like environment.
Alabama is scheduled to begin the season with Simpson likely starting at 3:30 p.m. ET Aug. 30 by visiting the Florida State Seminoles.
Related: Paul Finebaum Reveals if Ty Simpson Can Lead Alabama to a National Championship
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: General Sports
