Alabama football head coach Kalen DeBoer made a significant hire on Feb. 2, bringing in former Broyles Award semifinalist Ryan Grubb as offensive coordinator to replace Nick Sheridan.
The hiring of Grubb not only stands to shake up the coaching staff but also could dramatically impact who wins the quarterback competition in 2025.
Grubb previously served as DeBoer’s offensive coordinator at Sioux Falls from 2010-13, Fresno State from 2020-21 and Washington from 2022-23. Grubb’s high-powered offense nearly won Washington a national title, with the team only falling short to Michigan 34-13 in the 2024 CFP national championship.
Grubb’s typical quarterbacks fit the profile of a gunslinger rather than a dual-threat athlete.
All three quarterbacks in the battle would fit a Grubb-led offense. Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell all recorded 2,500-plus yards passing and 40-plus touchdowns in their respective final high school seasons.
However, Mack, whom Grubb and DeBoer recruited to Washington, will potentially benefit the most from the change at OC. He has already spent one season with Grubb and two with DeBoer. Mack is said to have continued to develop while sitting behind former quarterback Jalen Milroe alongside Simpson, and DeBoer has praised his work ethic.
“There’s a lot of guys that pour a lot into it,” DeBoer said. “He’s doing stuff on his own pretty much every day. You pick an early morning time when we don’t have a practice, he’s doing something in some facility in here.”
With Sheridan no longer calling plays for Alabama, Simpson will now need to prove to Grubb that he is worthy of being his starting quarterback. Simpson has stayed the course at Alabama, not jumping ship despite being capable of starting at quarterback for other FBS schools.
“You certainly appreciate what he’s done,” DeBoer said Jan. 28 at the Senior Bowl. He added that Simpson “continued to build relationships to get ready for this chance that he has right in front of him.”
Simpson could show Grubb that he should be the Alabama quarterback thanks to his ability to throw the deep ball and solid pocket awareness. Despite not receiving consistent playing time, his continued commitment to Alabama may also be a bonus in his bid to impress the new head of the offense.
Russell also stands to benefit from the hire of Grubb. DeBoer and staff are high on Russell, and his game suits the aggressive nature of Grubb’s offense, passing for 4,177 yards and 52 touchdowns in his last high school season.
“What jumps to me is the fact they want me to come and be the starting quarterback ASAP,” Russell said in an interview with On3. Russell also said he knew he was “getting the honest truth” out of DeBoer when he spoke with him.
The impact of Grubb as Alabama’s offensive coordinator will continue to be a major storyline as the team begins spring practice next month and hosts its “A-Day” spring game on April 12.
