They do not get too many days like Friday at Westview High School in Martin, Tennessee.
Five-star backs don’t exactly appear in any small town like this, so having a potential star to make his commitment live on TV is a big deal. This is what Ty Simpson did on Friday when he grabbed the crimson hat and promised to play football in Alabama.
His coach, 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 footballers in its history, all making the five-hour migration east to Knoxville.
The Vols were expected to land a fifth before Jeremy Pruitt was fired and Simpson’s recruitment became an Alabama-Clemson race. Neal talked about the decision and explained what Alabama gets in Simpson in a Friday afternoon interview with AL.com as part of his whirlwind day.
Neal said he felt it would be the tide, and it was confirmed just before he grabbed the hat. Simpson said he made his decision Thursday night in an interview with CBS Sports.
“I knew it was Alabama,” Neal said, “because I knew he was talking to Coach Saban last night.”
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Neal, who played quarterback with Simpson’s father Jason at UT-Martin, had a lot to say about what makes this passer-by special. He is not only the most talented player, but also the hardest worker.
When the team was unable to hold official rehearsals during the summer due to the pandemic, Simpson called teammates to get together for their own rehearsals. Mac Jones did the same in Tuscaloosa during the spring and summer of 2020 before a season that would make him a household name and help the Crimson Tide to a national title.
Simpson said earlier that he was inspired by Jones’ story and his patience to develop behind star backs before he blossomed last season. Alabama currently has two highly regarded passers-by on campus in former five-star Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, signatories in 2021. Neal said he spoke to his esteemed recruiter about the mentality, noting that Simpson has the confidence he needs is from a quarterback playing at that level.
It comes from experience since Neal played quarterback Simpson’s father at UT-Martin, and started his last three seasons after putting up his first two.
Coming from a smaller school and not playing from the high school forces in the state should not be a problem for a passerby like Simpson, his coach said.
“The speed is going to be very different,” Neal said. “Very, very, very different. But the game is now so slow for him that he plays it faster than everyone else, which enables him to make the leap. Now it may take some time, but I think he will manage to make the leap in the speed aspect of it pass.
‘And he’s friends with some of his father’s players and can throw for them, and the speed is different from ours. And then he goes to all the camps with the guys who go to Alabama and Tennessee and Clemson, and all the other schools he can go to, so I do not think he’s going to have a big problem. ”
Simpson is also not your typical feedback pro-style passer-by. He said he would like to experiment with some Patrick Mahomes unique pass techniques.
“How Mahomes likes to run around a bit, how Mahomes can throw on any arm grip,” Neal said. “I agree that they have similarities. Even with the arm strength aspect of it. ”
In terms of strengths, Neal said Simpson’s ability to avoid pressure in the pocket stands out.
“He has a very good mind and a good skill in how not to get fired,” Neal said. “Every now and then you get fired. He does a great job of not being fired. ‘
As a class of 2022, Simpson had another year at Westview before moving to Tuscaloosa.
What can Simpson improve on in the last high school season?
“To make sure our eyes and our feet match,” Neal said. “And through our eyes we can read the play properly and perform the play properly.”
The spiritual approach has always been the power of Simpson, and it certainly did no harm to grow up in a football family. His father has been at the helm of the FCS school since 2006, so Simpson has gained an edge in that regard.
“Most people do not have that kind of knowledge of the game,” Neal said. “But he, as the son of a coach and being able to have the in-depth football conversations on a regular basis, helped him grow tremendously in his knowledge of the game.”
Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or to Facebook.