Ty Simpson, QB vs #16 Vanderbilt (2025)
Overview
Player: Ty Simpson — QB, Alabama
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 207
Opponent: #16 Vanderbilt
Season: 2025
Final Stat Line: 23/31, 340 Yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT
Film Link: Watch on YouTube
Against Vanderbilt, Simpson shows the skillset of an on-schedule operator with vertical aggression. He ties his feet to eyes off of PA drops, hits boundary routes in rhythm, and layers ball location on sideline/fade concepts. In key situations, he makes the right decision and makes the clutch throw to convert, and when the play breaks down, he can reset his base outside the pocket and deliver downfield. The only real blemish from this game is an INT on a 4th-and-1; the rest is efficient, explosive, and composed.
Usage / Alignment: Shotgun-heavy with PA, occasional roll to the right. Concepts: boundary go/fade, sideline curls/outs, seam/middle digs, quick game, drag on 4th down, scramble reset + strike.
Film Review — Key Plays
Play 1) 9:58 1Q, 4th & 1 — Interception
Singleback PA; Simpson has time, climbs the pocket, and lets it go, but the corner sitting underneath undercuts for the pick. It’s deep in Vandy territory on 4th-and-1 (likely turnover on downs anyway), but still not something we want to see when he has time. Later in the game, we see safer passes to convert on 3rd and 4th downs; this is the exception.
Play 2) 6:05 1Q, 2nd & 20 — 35 Yard Pass
Shotgun PA; drops, sets and fires down the sideline, it’s caught in stride, and the receiver tacks on 10 more before getting tackled. This is a big play on 2nd and shows poise with vertical placement—ball is delivered on time to the WR so he can catch it in stride and he turns a behind-the-sticks down into a field-flipping explosive play without forcing the ball into coverage.
Play 3) 9:30 2Q, 2nd & 7 — 15 Yard TD Pass
Shotgun, fake pitch left into a roll right; as the defender closes, Simpson jukes back inside, resets his feet, and fires to a wide-open target in the end zone. It’s controlled creativity: escape the immediate threat, square the platform, and finish—no forced throw or panic, just a composed red-zone throw that turns pressure into points.
Play 4) 0:23 2Q, 1st & 10 — 27 Yard TD Pass
Standard shotgun drop and rip down the sideline to an open WR in stride; the receiver breaks a tackle at the goal line to finish. The throw hits the WR in stride, allowing the WR to carry momentum through contact and score. It’s a quarterback-driven, explosive play where ball location creates the ability for the WR to score.
Play 5) 12:10 3Q, 1st & 10 — 55 Yard Pass
Shotgun PA; short drop, works through his reads, then unleashes deep down the sideline. IT’s slightly underthrown, but the receiver wins the jump ball and adds 10 more before going down. Trust and placement show up here: give your guy a playable ball away from harm, and let the receiver finish the contested phase for a true explosive play.
Play 6) 🔥 7:13 3Q, 1st & 10 — 30 Yard Pass
Shotgun, deep drop; pressure arrives, Simpson steps up, escapes left, stops, resets, and drives it to an open receiver who tacks on 5. This is great pocket awareness - avoiding the rush and finding the escape route before resetting his feet and delivering a strike that rewards the scramble without sacrificing accuracy or timing.
Final Thoughts
Simpson’s Vanderbilt tape is an efficient blend of on-schedule rhythm, boundary placement, and controlled creation. He ties PA drops to clean footwork, steps up into throws, and when the play breaks down, escapes, resets, and still delivers with accuracy. The blemish is obvious: a 4th-and-1 interception where he should have looked for a high percentage completion. The bottom line is he looked composed, efficient, and explosive; the quarterback-driven gains clearly outweigh the single poor decision.
Strengths on Display
Perimeter Placement: Consistent downfield placement and touch on boundary shots that hits his WRs in stride and allows for YAC.
On-Schedule Rhythm: Play action & quick drops tied to timing; feet and eyes sequenced so the ball’s out on time.
Situational Awareness: Reads coverage well and takes the check down to move the chains instead of forcing balls into coverage.
Controlled Creation: Escapes the rush, resets his feet, and delivers accurately downfield - all without panicking.
Areas for Improvement
Fourth-Down Decision Making: We actually see him do a good job of this, minus the early INT, but let’s continue to keep an eye on this moving forward.
