Ryan Grubb will have plenty of work to do upon arrival in Tuscaloosa.

Grubb, the next offensive coordinator for Alabama football, will be tasked with getting the offense back on track. And the No. 1 task: Picking a starting quarterback.

Jalen Milroe, the starting quarterback quarterback in 2023 and 2024, is moving onto the NFL. That leaves an opening at the most important position.

Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell are the three contenders right now. That pairs a redshirt junior against a redshirt sophomore and a true freshman, respectively. None have played significant college snaps. Alabama could still add another quarterback after the spring. But for now, Simpson, Mack and Russell are the three players vying for the starting spot.

Simpson, the only Nick Saban holdover left at quarterback, figures to enter the competition in pole position. He has been waiting his turn for multiple seasons. He won’t be handed the job by any means. Simpson will have to win it. But many around the program believe he’s capable.

Then there’s Russell, the top-ranked prospect in the entire 2025 recruiting class, per the 247Sports Composite. He’s got exciting potential and has the makings of a future star. The question is: Will that be as a true freshman or down the road?

Mack is a bit of a wildcard in the competition. He now has multiple years working in coach Kalen DeBoer’s system; Mack began his career at Washington in 2023 then followed DeBoer to Tuscaloosa in 2024. That means Mack has essentially spent time in Grubb’s system all that time, too.

Grubb was also the primary recruiter for Mack coming out of high school, per 247Sports. Does that give Mack an edge in the competition? Maybe. Maybe not. But Grubb is certainly more familiar with Mack than either of the other quarterbacks. Once Grubb arrives and starts working this spring, he will have a chance to get to know Simpson and Russell better too.

Nick Sheridan, Alabama offensive coordinator in 2024, was Russell’s primary recruiter. Sheridan will reportedly remain on the staff even with Grubb joining. And if Russell works well in Sheridan and DeBoer’s system, he’s going to work well in Grubb’s. Grubb also isn’t a stranger to succeeding with a quarterback that Sheridan recruited; Back at Indiana, Sheridan was the primary recruiter for Michael Penix Jr, now the Atlanta Falcons quarterback. Penix later transferred to Washington to link up again with DeBoer and Sheridan, and the Huskies put together two prolific offenses with Penix at quarterback in 2022 and 2023.

A change at offensive coordinator doesn’t change the fact a quarterback battle will ensue this offseason. That was already happening and will still happen. All it means is that a different person will be at the forefront of making the decision for who the quarterback will be.

Nick Kelly is an Alabama beat writer for AL.com and the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on X and Instagram.