They don’t have many days like Friday at Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee.
Five-star quarterbacks are not exactly common in a small town like this, so having a potential star making a commitment live on TV is a big deal. That’s what Ty Simpson did on Friday, when he grabbed the crimson hat and promised to play football in Alabama.
His trainer, Jarod Neal, was well aware of how special this moment was for this school of 500 in a city of 10,000. Westview has produced exactly four Power 5 football players in its history, he said, and they all made the five-hour trek east to Knoxville.
The Vols were expected to get a fifth place before Jeremy Pruitt was fired and Simpson’s recruitment became an Alabama-Clemson race. Neal talked about that decision and explained what Alabama is getting at Simpson in an interview on Friday afternoon with AL.com as part of his turbulent day.
Neal said he had a feeling it would be Maré and that was confirmed just before he took the hat. Simpson said he made his decision Thursday night in an interview with CBS Sports.
“I knew it was Alabama,” said Neal, “because I knew he was talking to Coach Saban last night.”
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Neal, who played as a defender for Simpson’s father Jason at UT-Martin, had a lot to say about what makes this passer special. He is not only the most talented player, but also the most hardworking.
When the team was unable to conduct official training during the summer because of the pandemic, Simpson was calling his teammates to meet for their own training. Mac Jones did the same thing in Tuscaloosa during the spring and summer of 2020, ahead of a season that would make him a household name and help Crimson Tide win a national title.
Simpson said he was inspired by Jones’ story and his patience to develop behind famous quarterbacks before he flourished last season. Alabama currently has two highly regarded passers-by on campus, former five-star Bryce Young and 2021 signer Jalen Milroe. Neal said he talked to his award-winning recruit about this mindset, while noting that Simpson has the confidence required of a quarterback playing at that level.
This comes from experience, as Neal played as a defender for Simpson’s father at UT-Martin, starting his last three seasons after sitting in the first two.
Coming from a smaller school, which doesn’t play with some of the state’s high school powers, it shouldn’t be a problem for a passerby like Simpson, said his coach.
“The speed will be very different,” said Neal. “Very, very, very different. But the game is so slow for him now that he plays it faster than everyone else, which will allow him to take that leap. Now it may take a little time, but I think he will be fine with taking that leap in the aspect of speed.
“And he is friends with some of his father’s players and is able to shoot for them and that speed is different from ours. And then he goes to all those camps with those guys who are going to Alabama, Tennessee and Clemson and all the other schools that he can launch, so I don’t think he’s going to have a big problem.
Simpson is also not your typical professional-style walker. He said he likes to try some of Patrick Mahomes’ exclusive passing techniques.
“How Mahomes likes to run a little, how Mahomes can play in any open arms, really any,” said Neal. “I would agree that they have similarities. Even with the strength aspect of the arm. “
In terms of strengths, Neal said that Simpson’s ability to avoid pressure in his pocket stands out.
“He has a good sense and a good knowledge of how not to get fired,” said Neal. “Now, obviously, from time to time you get fired. He does a good job of not getting fired. “
As a Class 2022 commit, Simpson still has another year in Westview before moving to Tuscaloosa.
What could Simpson improve on in the last season of high school?
“Making sure our eyes and feet match,” said Neal. “And our eyes allow us to do the proper reading and perform the piece properly.”
The mental approach has always been Simpson’s strength and growing up in a football family certainly didn’t hurt that. His father has been in charge of the FCS school since 2006, so Simpson had an advantage in that regard.
“Most people don’t have that kind of knowledge of the game,” said Neal. “But the fact that he is the son of a coach and able to have these in-depth conversations about football on a regular basis has helped him to grow tremendously in his knowledge of the game.”
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or in the Facebook.