Alabama Crimson Tide football coach Kalen DeBoer was highly complimentary of his likely starting quarterback for the 2025 season, Ty Simpson, while speaking with his hometown radio station, ESPN Sioux Falls.
He didn’t have the highest of compliments for the former Nick Saban recruit, however.
Instead of claiming Simpson could’ve gone to any other school, he stopped short and claimed he could’ve gone to “a lot of” other schools.
DeBoer also wouldn’t claim that the QB battle in Tuscaloosa was officially over yet.
“We’ve made it known that if we played a game at the end of this spring — even right now, because it really wouldn’t change — we would have Ty as our quarterback. But they’re all competing for the spot,” DeBoer said this past week.
“Ty has been around now. He’s seen it. He’s competed. Has all the tools, just like the other guys — he has all the tools to go out there and get the job done. He’s done a nice job of improving and looking forward to this opportunity that he’s waited a long time for.
He really could have gone to not any other, but a lot of programs in the country that would have been looking for a quarterback and had an opportunity a year ago already. He decided to stay, and has done a great job of leading us so far this offseason.”
DeBoer may have simply been talking about Simpson’s fit in every offensive system. After all, though he is mobile, playing at a run-first service academy would’ve been an awkward match and a waste of arm talent.
Still, DeBoer didn’t have to leave doubt in his statement. But he did.
Motivation tactic or slip-up? We may never know.
