Friday Night Files: Ty Simpson is Electric in Week 2 Match-up
The state of Tennessee has produced some high-end talent from the high school ranks in recent years, and the number of players that fall into that category has been rising. Tennessee as a state has traditionally produced many quality linemen, both offensive and defensive, linebackers, and tight ends. There are certainly wide receivers, running backs, and defensive backs in the state that will play at the Power Five level, however at a lesser rate than the linemen and tight ends. The one position group that has not been often represented at a prominent level in the Volunteer state has been the quarterback position. However, as the level of high school football in the state has risen, so has the level of quarterback play. The 2021 class has some quality quarterback prospects that should make it to the FBS level, while the 2022 class has some truly elite quarterback prospects. The headliner and most highly rated of the 2022 quarterbacks is Westview (Martin, TN) signal caller Ty Simpson.
Simpson is a 6’2” 200-pound quarterback that brings a game with solid marks across the board to the table. In Westview’s contest at McNairy Central High School (Selmar, TN) on September 4, 2020, Simpson put his skills on display in the Chargers’ victory, throwing for three touchdowns and running for two more. Mechanically, Simpson maintains a good carriage of the ball, eyes downfield, ready to throw, when on the run. Westview moves the pocket in a significant percentage of their offense, buying time for Simpson to throw and taking advantage of his mobility. Simpson shows sound footwork on his rollouts and throws outside the pocket, staying on balance and in a position to square his shoulders and throw downfield. Simpson has a sharp, clean, short throwing motion with a quick release. That quick release combined with his mobility makes Simpson difficult to sack, and the strength of Simpson’s arm means that a short, quick motion can push the ball downfield with a lot of velocity. The Bobcats set their defense up to not allow Simpson to push the ball downfield, and they forced him to work underneath. To his credit, Simpson did a good job of taking what the defense gave him and playing within the offense.
Most scouting services are grading Simpson as a dual threat quarterback, and his legs are certainly a significant part of his game. In the high school ranks, Simpson is capable of long runs and keeping the chains moving with his feet as much as his arm. When projecting to the next level, Simpson is going to remain a threat with his legs. Defenses will have to account for his ability to run or else risk giving up chunk gains. Simpson is athletic enough to pick up first down yards in scramble situations or if a defense doesn’t leave a spy on him. In college, Simpson’s legs will be most dangerous and frustrating to defenses in the red zone. He has the burst to close yards quickly, and he feels both first down markers and the pylon well when tucks the ball. Simpson will be very difficult to account for in the red zone with his ability to run, but to also throw accurately while at a full run. That said, at the next level, Simpson will be using his legs to buy time to throw. Simpson can break contain, but he will use his athleticism most to elude pressure and extend plays, allowing his receivers to come open. Expect to see Simpson thrive on broken plays or plays that he extends with his feet but makes with his arm in college.
As with all players, especially juniors, Simpson still has areas of his game to improve. Simpson is the son of a coach, and while he shows a good understanding offensive concepts and the ability to read defenses, he can get impatient at times. Simpson can trust too much in his arm at times, throwing a ball into a spot that, upon film review, he will agree it should not have gone into. When Simpson is able to deliver the ball on schedule, it is a very smooth, easy timing play to watch. However, he does not get to set up and throw on schedule often on a straight drop. Some of this is due to the offense, some is due to his offensive line, and some is due to his own willingness to get out and scramble. Simpson is impressive when he has the chance to deliver on time, and at the next level his coaches will want him to rely on his on schedule, quickly processed deliveries first, and supplement that with his ability to extend broken plays.
After seeing Simpson in person, it is clear to see why there is so much hype around the young man. He is the son of a coach and clearly understands the mental aspect of the game as a quarterback. Simpson also showed that he has grown into a player that can control the huddle and the line of scrimmage. He has good feet when looking to run and throw on the run, and he flashed absolutely elite arm strength on a few throws where it was called for. Simpson is capable of making all the throws asked of a Power Five quarterback, with a frame that he can fill out to endure the punishment that comes with it. There is room for growth and development, and Simpson will have to adjust to the level of competition at the next level. That said, Simpson has an extremely high ceiling. He figures to be extremely frightening if he lands in an offense where he can process information quickly, deliver the ball on time wherever it needs to go on the field, and make something out of nothing when a play breaks down. Simpson’s recruitment is in the early stages, but he has heard from teams across the country, Tennessee, Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Oklahoma, and USC to name a few. He looks to be an impact player for whoever secures his commitment.