Ryan Grubb was nearly Alabama football’s offensive coordinator in 2024. After initially following Kalen DeBoer from Washington, Grubb instead headed back to Seattle, taking over as OC for the NFL’s Seahawks.

Now, he’s back to lead the UA offense. On Wednesday, he was asked for his impressions of what the Crimson Tide did on that side of the ball in 2024, without his leadership.

“There’s some really talented guys,” Grubb said. “I thought they did a really good job of using Jalen (Milroe) with his legs. I know that’s not necessarily what Jalen wants to be known for, he wants to be a quarterback and he is a very good one, but I thought they did a good job of utilizing talent, finding ways to be creative and getting the ball down the field. But I thought there was a lot of good players out there. I thought there’s a lot of talent.”

Alabama’s offense, led by Milroe, who is NFL draft bound, appeared dynamic at times last season, especially in wins over Georgia and LSU. However, it struggled to find consistency, leading to ugly losses against the likes of Vanderbilt, Oklahoma and Michigan.

Nick Sheridan led the offense last season, and remains on staff, with a co-OC title and quarterbacks coach duties. DeBoer is also heavily involved on offense, so Grubb said the continuity helped as he took over.

“Nick being there is obviously a huge advantage to me just because it gives me the flexibility to be in the rooms that I need to be in and talk to the people I gotta talk to,” Grubb said. “So, I think that part for me has been awesome already. That way, if another position group or a coach needs help, I can move myself into that room and try to utilize my skills with the offense somewhere else. But most of the time, it’s always gonna be with the quarterbacks. I think that relationship is key.”

Grubb’s main order of business this offseason is finding Milroe’s replacement at quarterback. Ty Simpson, UA’s primary backup since 2023, is competing with fellow returnee Austin Mack and five-star true freshman Keelon Russell for the role.

“I think that they each, just like any quarterback, have their own individual strengths and weaknesses,” Grubb said. “Ty has done a good job. I thought he had the biggest jump from day one to day two, just as far as being able to take in all the information, process quickly and move. Austin’s done a really good job of showing command for a young player, and then Keelon is awesome, man.

“He’s very unflappable. Even when things don’t go right, and they invariably will for a freshman quarterback, I think he’s done an awesome job just kind of staying the course and being very steady, and he can make a lot of plays.”

Alabama will continue spring practice through April 12, when it will play the A-Day game at Bryant-Denny Stadium. A-Day will not be televised, though admission is free.