"The president look good" - Alabama fans fired up for Ryan Grubb as Jalen Milroe's potential replacements practice in 2025

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer hiring Ryan Grubb as his Crimson Tide offensive coordinator has been heralded after the team's offense struggled in a disappointing season that ended 9-4. One of the decisions confronting DeBoer and Grubb is who the next QB1 will be after Jalen Milroe declared for the NFL draft.

The three prospects in contention to replace the dual-threat Milroe are Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell and Austin Mack. After the first spring training session of the year, DeBoer talked to reporters about the issue of which prospect would win the QB1 job and get to lead Ryan Grubb's offense.

“They’re all at different points, but a few things just procedure-wise that are a little bit different,” DeBoer said Monday. “Good to see those guys all operating through that. They all had their times, of course, where they looked really good and times where they’ve gotta continue to grow and get better. It’s gotta be a guy that delivers the ball, commands the huddle, commands everything we do with the team.

“Just that presence and that belief and confidence in your signal-caller. It starts with a lot of that, just the belief. But the belief comes because you’re making the throws, and you’re getting the ball to the guys in a fashion where they can go make their plays and reap the rewards of all the work that they’ve put in.”

Alabama fans on X had mixed reactions to the offensive options available to Ryan Grubb for next season.

Some fans hyped Ty Simpson, Keelon Russell and Austin Mack's abilities.

"10 is velvet smooth," one fan tweeted.

"The ball jumps off his hand," another tweeted.

"Looking good," one fan tweeted.

Ryan Grubb tabbed to improve the Tide's QBs

During his news conference after the first spring training, embattled coach Kalen DeBoer revealed how Ryan Grubb would help improve the quarterbacks and Alabama's offense as a whole.

"I think coach Grubb will always still be involved with the quarterbacks," DeBoer said (3:43). "I just am a strong believer that your play-caller has to be around the quarterbacks, but on your note, you're very right. It allows him to just do what you want your coordinator to do.

"That's oversee every position, and he certainly has a lot of history and background with the offensive line, so I think there's eyes that start in certain spots when you're a coordinator beyond just the quarterback, and I think a lot of the times his eyes, yeah he can see it all."

Before he took the Seattle Seahawks job, Ryan Grubb coached under Kalen DeBoer for 17 years at Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and Washington and even briefly at Alabama for a few weeks. The pair's expansive offensive system made the Washington Huskies one of the best teams in the country, even reaching the 2023 national championship game.