Alabama football quarterback Bryce Young on Tuesday talked about new quarterback Ty Simpson, who joined the Crimson Tide for College Football Playoff semifinal practices after signing last week, during a Tuesday news conference.
They got to know each other as Simpson went through the recruiting process. But the Heisman Trophy winner has gotten an up-close look on how Simpson wants to learn and contribute to the team early since he signed.
“I got to know him pretty well, he was here throughout recruiting a good amount,” Young said. “You build a relationship with a guy just through talking and then you see him on the field, you guys are doing the same things, in the same meeting room, that makes all the difference. Seeing how intensive he is in meetings, he’s really trying to stick on everything he’s seeing in meeting. He’ll talk to me, talk to the other guys about how we see things and for a young guy who’s that curious and wants to learn, that’s always a great sign.
“You can tell he’s a natural thrower. He’s made some really good throws even early on. That’s not easy when you are thrusted in, straight from coming from high school you’re thrusted into us and playoff practice mode at the end of the season. You’re thrusted into taking some reps, he’s made some good throws. He has all the potential in the world, we’re all excited to see him grow and develop.”
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Simpson signed with No. 1 Alabama (12-1) as the No. 3 quarterback in this year’s class out of Westview High in Tennessee. He threw for 2,901 yards with 44 touchdowns and six interceptions while adding 1,114 yards and 14 scores on the ground en route to winning Tennessee Gatorade Football Player of the Year and the Class 2A Mr. Football award.
There is good and bad news for Simpson. Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. won’t be hitting him – yet – after Simpson joked that he was going to go up to Anderson and not be hit, like Anderson accidently did to Young.
“Actually before he could come to me I had seen it already,” Anderson said. “I went up to him and I told him, ‘You don’t have to worry about me hitting you right now. Just know in the spring time you’re going to see me all the time. I’ll be in your face but you don’t have to worry about me right now.'”
Simpson won’t be able to travel with the team to its Cotton Bowl matchup with No. 4 Cincinnati (13-0) on Dec. 31 at 2:30 p.m. CT on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Bryce Young on Ty Simpson, Alabama football’s newest quarterback