The ‘could have been’ at quarterback for Clemson looms even bigger now

Alabama v Georgia | Kevin C. Cox/GettyImagesIn early 2021, Clemson made Ty Simpson its top quarterback priority. When Simpson committed to Alabama, the Tigers moved quickly on Cade Klubnik, the polished Austin (Westlake) passer with a winner’s résumé and advanced timing traits. It was a classic sliding-doors moment: the same class, two elite prospects, two very different ecosystems.

Simpson matured inside a quarterback-centric infrastructure—first under Nick Saban’s process, then in a Kalen DeBoer offense built on motion, spacing, layered route concepts and clean answers versus pressure. The result: a passer operating on rhythm, attacking the middle of the field with confidence, and getting…