For Vols fans who remember, Tennessee heavily pursued Ty Simpson out of high school. The Martin, Tennessee, native was a major high school prospect and a top target for Jeremy Pruitt. However, Pruitt was fired, and the Vols hired Josh Heupel, who Simpson didn't have much, if any, relationship with.
Tennessee takes major step toward landing five-star RB David Gabriel Georges
On Jon Gruden's QB Camp, Simpson said, “I wanted to (commit there). It just didn’t work out that way.” The Vols fired former head coach Jeremy Pruitt before he had decided, and the former five-star quarterback decided that he was going to take his talent to Alabama instead.
Alabama QB Ty Simpson admitted that he wanted to play for Tennessee 🍊
— FOX Sports Knoxville (@FOXSportsKnox) April 16, 2026
Simpson joined Jon Gruden on “Gruden’s QB Camp” and opened up about being extremely close to being a Volunteer.
“It was hard,” Simpson said. “I wanted to. It just didn’t work out that way.”
Simpson and his… pic.twitter.com/XrNsKZfLrT
Ty Simpson wanted to be a Vol
This is tough to hear, but there was really no way Tennessee could’ve kept Pruitt at the time. The good news is that since Simpson’s college career began, the Vols haven’t had quarterback problems. In fact, it’s become a real strength. Hendon Hooker was a star when he was a Vol; Nico was serviceable and brought the Vols to the playoffs; and Joey Aguilar was a fan favorite who turned out well.
Simpson went on to have a really nice career at Alabama. He started only one year, but he led the Tide to a Rose Bowl game after an 11-win season. He threw for 3,567 yards, 28 touchdowns, and only five interceptions.
What hurts is that Simpson could have been a Vol this offseason. After Tennessee missed out on Sam Leavitt, there was some smoke that he was interested in joining the Vols. However, Simpson has a first-round NFL Draft grade, and understandably didn’t want to pass up that opportunity. Given that Tennessee is currently working with two young quarterbacks in George MacIntyre and Faizon Brandon, it would have been nice to have his veteran presence in the room and allow them one more year of development.
I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and it’s too bad that Simpson and Tennessee’s paths never crossed. He was the right player, but it was never the right time, and that’s okay.
Add us as a preferred source on Google