Legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban recruited quarterback Ty Simpson to the Crimson Tide but never got to see him hold the starting job before his retirement. Three years after his arrival in Tuscaloosa, one of the countless five-star recruits to sign with Saban's program is finally set to headline the depth chart. Simpson will start for the No. 8-ranked Crimson Tide in Saturday's season opener at Florida State after he defeated fellow returning backup Austin Mack and five-star freshman Keelon Russell for the job.

Simpson is an anomaly in modern college football with his now-unique path to the starting lineup . He stuck with the program through a coaching change and developed for three years as a backup before making his starting debut. In the transfer era, that kind of pat

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