One of the top quarterbacks of the class of 2022 will be making his verbal pledge on Friday.

Ty Simpson out of Martin, Tennessee will be announcing his commitment on Feb. 19 live on CBS Sports HQ during a school ceremony set to start at 3 p.m. ET. Simpson appeared on 104.5 The Zone’s 3HL to thoroughly preview his recruitment.

He revealed a final six that includes four SEC schools.

“Alabama, Clemson, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Ole Miss and Texas are a big part of my recruitment right now just because of the SEC and getting the best out of me and my abilities, the coaching staff and the relationships,” Simpson told the program. “Those are my top schools.”

Jimbo Fisher’s resume of developing quarterbacks could take Simpson to College Station.

“A&M is a great place and Jimbo has a great track record with some of his development. Jameis Winston, Kellen Mond. He’s a football junkie and a quarterback guru,” Simpson said. “I feel if I went down there and I got in his offense, and do what I do, throwing the football for my dad, I feel like I can go to the next level if I decide to play for him because I know I would be taken care of by Jimbo. I would have a Ph.D. in football because I would know so much ball.”

Simpson is also intrigued at the opportunity to play for Lane Kiffin. Ole Miss also has a legacy angle to pitch.

“It’s been really fun,” Simpson said of being recruited to Kiffin’s program. “Getting to know those guys and Coach Lebby, it’s been really fun. I have a lot of friends down there — Hudson Wolfe, Luke Altmyer — all those guys I’ve grown to know through the recruiting process, it’s been really fun to get to know them and see how they like it. And my Dad’s uncle played linebacker there. Being able to go there, where my Dad grew up, it would be an awesome place to go play.”

Simpson revealed that he was impressed by both Alabama’s former and present offensive coordinators:

“Coach Sark has been recruiting me for a long time, since my freshman year. Seeing what he did at Alabama the last two years with Tua (Tagovailoa) and then Mac (Jones) this year, a future first-round draft pick, who wouldn’t want to go play for that and be the first (quarterback) he signs at Texas. It would be a blessing to go play for the most well-known brand in college football. Playing for the Texas Longhorns would be a blessing.”

“Coach O’Brien is an NFL guy, coached Deshaun Watson, coached Tom (Brady), so when you Google his name, your eyes light up. You’re like ‘holy cow, this dude.’ I could be coached by him and it would be a great experience. If you go to the University of Alabama, you go for the program and Coach Saban. You don’t go for your offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach because there’s a lot of turnover there. And I know that going in and I also know a lot of good players are going there also.”

With the interview being on a Tennessee radio station, there were more questions about his interest in UT and if the Volunteers coaching change had an impact on his interest in playing on Rocky Top.

While the Jeremy Pruitt staff made a strong impression offering early, Simpson shared that the Heupel staff has still recruited him relentlessly, making a strong impression. Simpson also admires Vols fans’ loyalty to the program during rough patches.

“One thing about it is the fans,” he told the show. “I love Tennessee fans because they’re passionate. They always have Tennessee’s back regardless of if they go 0-12 or 12-0. They’re always going to be there next year.

“I love the University of Tennessee and I just got off the phone with Coach (Josh) Heupel before I jumped on here. Getting to know those guys — as soon as he got the job, he called me and introduced himself and said, ‘Look, Ty. I know I’m not Coach Pruitt but I’m going to recruit you.’ Going through his quarterback development with Drew Lock, Dillon Gabriel and McKenzie Milton there at UCF, I could definitely see myself going (to Tennessee). It was really cool to see him say they’re going to close down the borders here in the state of Tennessee because these ’22 guys here are the real deal and we’re really, really close. We’ve known each other since middle school and elementary school, so being able to play with those guys at the same college would be awesome. Getting to play for our state university, you couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Simpson added that he has spoken to Heupel “at least 20 times” already. The hosts asked if the new Tennessee staff has to rebuild trust after the coaching change.

“I’ve always loved Tennessee because of the University. Of course, Coach Pruitt, Coach Weinke and Coach Chaney (extended) one of my first offers,” Simpson said. “I can thank them enough for how much of a big part of my recruitment they’ve been. You also have to think, you’re going to a university to play for that university. You’re not going to play for a coach, nothing like that, even though a lot of guys do that. I don’t go into it that way.

“I never lost trust in them, but I just know that me and Coach Heupel and Coach Golesh and all those guys, if I go there, I feel like I would have an awesome relationship with them and just have fun. That’s what the players there are telling me now. JT Carver, Cooper Mays, all those guys who are there now are telling me, ‘Ty, it is fun here. We’re going to win games because we care about each other and we’re all in it together.’ That’s what I like to see in a program.”

Simposon is listed at 6-2, 185 pounds and rated 4-stars, the No. 2 dual-threat quarterback and No. 42 prospect overall nationally in the class of 2022. His junior Hudl highlight tape is embedded below:

[H/T Ben McKee, Rocky Top Insider]