Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer will have a different team when he brings the Crimson Tide to Tallahassee for the 2025 season opener. He'll have a new quarterback with Jalen Milroe declaring for the 2025 NFL Draft.
He'll have a new offensive coordinator, as former Seattle Seahawk's offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb will reunite with DeBoer in the same role at Alabama.
Grubb has coached with DeBoer for nearly all of his college career. He began with DeBoer at Sioux Falls in 2007 before following him to Eastern Michigan, Fresno State, and Washington.
Alabama is hiring Ryan Grubb as its offensive coordinator, a source tells @On3sports. https://t.co/u3IvbyN5Sn pic.twitter.com/udyeOHoWsf
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos_) February 2, 2025
Grubb was the offensive coordinator when the Washington Huskies made it to the NCAA Championship game in 2023 with Michael Penix at QB, losing to Michigan 34-13.
Grubb's offenses at Washington averaged 37.8 points per game and 6.96 yards per play. His offenses are pass-happy, accounting for 58.6 percent of Washington's plays over the last two seasons he was there.
Grubb originally planned to follow DeBoer to Alabama before taking the offensive coordinator job with the Seattle Seahawks. He was fired after one season, with his offense only averaging 22.1 points and 332 yards of offense per game.
Alabama's offensive coordinator last year, Nick Sheridan, will remain on staff as he coached with DeBoer and Grubbs at Washington as the tight ends coach.
Kalen DeBoer may be trying to recreate the magic he had at Washington, where he went 25-3 in his last two seasons there.
It'll be interesting to see how the Alabama offense looks in 2025. They will have a quarterback with limited experience with whoever wins the quarterback competition. It'll be either redshirt junior Ty Simpson, redshirt sophomore Austin Mack, or freshman Keelon Russell.
However, I'd bet the house it'll be one of the first two guys. Whoever it is will face a new defense at FSU with Tony White's multiple 3-3-5 look.
Tony White's defenses are usually good at stopping the run. Will Grubbs be confident in his inexperienced quarterbacks to air it out like usual in year one on the road in the season opener?