In the span of just seven days, Alabama's Ty Simpson transformed from a quarterback under fire, to the offensive leader Alabama fans had been waiting for.

All offseason, one of the biggest questions that surrounded the Crimson Tide's program was simply this: who would take over as starting quarterback.  After Jalen Milroe announced he was going to enter the NFL Draft, fans began to wonder who would fill his spot. 

Would it be Ty Simpson who has patiently waited for his chance? Would it be Austin Mack who followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington? Or would it be true freshman Keelon Russell, a 5 star QB out of Texas who everyone was excited to see?

When Ty Simpson was named the starter, some were shocked, and others were satisfied. Simpson would be following a long time of Alabama quarterbacks who patiently waited for their shot at being the starting quarterback for the Crimson Tide.

Mac Jones was one of the first college quarterbacks to opt out of entering the transfer portal, and instead, wait for his shot at QB1. Jones started the last 4 games for Alabama in 2019 after Tua Tagovailoa suffered a hip injury. And after Tagovailoa announced his departure for the NFL Draft, Mac Jones finally got his shot. And how did it pan out? Jones led the Crimson Tide to an undefeated 13-0 season winning both an SEC and National title while throwing for 4,500 yards with 41 touchdowns and four interceptions.

Why is all of that information important? Because Alabama has a history of giving the kid a shot who has been patient. Not always, but often so. And for Simpson, his number was called, and it was his time to shine.

In the season opener, Simpson struggled. There's no denying that. Sure, statistically, he did great. In the 31-17 loss to Florida State, Simpson went 23/43 for 254 yards and 2 touchdowns. But he lacked the confidence and leadership that he needed to have. There were moments in game one that he looked like a deer in headlights. His offensive line may not have done the best job blocking for him, but Simpson also didn't take the time to call out and pump up his team. He also made some poor throws that should have been easy completions, and he also chose to throw an incompletion rather than rushing 1 more yard for a first down. Most of these mistakes can be chalked up to first game jitters. Granted, it was his first game as a starter, and it was also played in Tallahassee, Florida which is a very hostile environment.  

After the week one loss, Simpson made one thing clear. He's not done yet. "I promise you one thing -- and that goes to every Alabama fan and my teammates -- I'm going to work hard and make sure we get this fixed."

Simpson knew he had to improve before week two.

And that he did. Simpson played like an entirely different player. He was confident. He was focused. He was electric. You could tell the energy on the field and on the sidelines was different. Not only was Ty Simpson accurate, he was pumped up.  A completely different look than we saw in week one. Ty Simpson went 17/17 for 226 yards and 3 touchdowns. But he didn't even play the entire game. Had he played the entire 60 minutes, Simpson could have quite possibly had over 500 yards passing and 8 touchdowns. But, it was good for Mack and Russell to both get reps in the game.

After Saturday's performance, Simpson shared how he felt the game went, "Yeah, it was a great bounce back after last week. Disappointed after last week. We practiced pissed off. Came out with the right mentality, and we just played Alabama football." 

This is the type of quarterback Alabama fans needed to see in Ty Simpson. A leader with a mission. 

What we saw this past week was more than just numbers on a stat sheet—it was a quarterback finding his confidence, his voice, and his role as Alabama’s leader. Ty Simpson’s flawless outing against ULM doesn’t erase the sting of Week 1, but it does prove how quickly he can respond to adversity. If he can carry that same focus and composure into tougher matchups ahead, Alabama won’t just have bounced back from an early setback—they’ll have found the steady hand under center they’ve been searching for.