One of the biggest questions for the season opener vs. Alabama has been who will be replacing Jalen Milroe as the Tide’s new quarterback? We now have clarity on that question as fourth-year junior Ty Simpson has been named the starter midway through fall camp.
So, what does that mean for FSU? This move has been expected for most of the offseason, so it doesn’t create much surprise. Alabama did not take a quarterback in the portal, so they had already planned on rolling with what they had.
The 6-foot-2, 210-pound former five-star was the No. 3 quarterback in the 2022 class. He sat behind Bryce Young as a freshman and then Jalen Milroe the past two seasons. Simpson has been around for a while now, entering his fourth season; however, he lacks game experience.
This is something that Seminole fans are banking on to be the difference that could lead to a potential upset. A quarterback making his first start on the road in a sold-out stadium against a defense that is known for confusing offenses… No one can know how good Simpson will be over time, but there’s no doubt that it’s an advantage for FSU to get him in his first career start.
Let’s look at what experience Ty Simpson does have. The fourth-year junior has played 188 total snaps in three seasons at Alabama (71 in 2024). 65 of those were passing snaps (29 in 2024) and the other 123 were on run plays (42 in 2024). That’s not a lot of experience to begin with, but what’s also worth pointing out is the games those snaps occurred in.
Simpson has mostly played against weaker teams or in mop-up duty. 68% of his 188 snaps were against non-Power 4 teams, and 21% came against FCS teams. He has not started a game or played meaningful minutes yet in his career. Last season, he entered the game against Wisconsin up 42-10 and the LSU game up 35-6.
Simpson’s career passing stats are 30 completions on 51 attempts (58.8%) for 381 yards and no touchdowns. He’s only had 2 games against Power 4 opponents with multiple attempts (one in 2024), and 77% of his yards came against non-Power 4 teams.
He is a mobile quarterback who can be a factor in the run game. Simpson has 165 career rushing yards on 21 attempts with 3 rushing touchdowns. But just like his passing stats, most of it was against the lower-level teams. 92% of his yardage and all 3 touchdowns were against non-Power 4 teams.
It’s not Simpson’s fault he lacks experience, but that doesn’t mean he isn’t inexperienced. Regardless of what you think about FSU after last season, they will pose a much tougher challenge than the likes of Western Kentucky or Mercer, whom Simpson got the bulk of his snaps against last season.
In his first start, Simpson will be the first Crimson Tide quarterback to make his first start on the road in the past 21 years. Will new OC Ryan Grubb let him loose or protect his passer? Luckily for Simpson, he is surrounded by weapons with a dynamic receiving core and a good ground game to lean on. He may not be asked to do much, but if he is, inexperience could lead to a mistake that changes the game.
Simpson is hard to bring down, and his mobility makes him a threat in the run game as well, so FSU will need to be sure tacklers and get him on the ground. He’s not the fastest guy, but he’s a tough runner. USF sacked him 5 times in 2023, but he has only taken one since.
Tony White’s defense excels at stopping the run. He orchestrated a top 10 run defense the past two seasons at Nebraska. If White’s defense could slow down Bama’s rush attack and force Simpson to throw, putting the game on an inexperienced arm, FSU could find success. Of course, that doesn’t mean Simpson isn’t ready to rise to the challenge, but FSU’s defense could also feast on fresh meat. Thanks for reading and Go Noles!
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