Overview

• Kalen DeBoer informed his roster on August 11 that Simpson won the QB1 job, marking his earliest Power Four starter announcement by a head coach.
• Coaches cited Simpson’s command of the huddle, ball security and situational consistency as decisive factors in his selection.
• Simpson prevailed in fall camp over five-star freshman Keelon Russell and redshirt sophomore Austin Mack based on experience in the offense.
• The move secures stability for a new-era attack under offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb and preserves a developmental window for the younger quarterbacks.
• DeBoer’s previous early QB calls—Michael Penix Jr. at Washington and Jake Haener at Fresno State—both became NFL draft picks, setting high expectations for Simpson