Alabama football set its next big wave in motion with Ryan Grubb replacing Nick Sheridan as the lead play-caller. Sheridan’s season was underwhelming, prompting head coach Kalen DeBoer to call in his right-hand man after he was fired by the Seattle Seahawks. 

This is huge news since the head coach-OC tandem were national title contenders in the final season they worked together. It also brings side effects, especially for the till-now favorite to replace Jalen Milroe as QB1, Ty Simpson.

CBS Sports’ John Tatly hints at Austin Mack having a better shot at the starting job than he had before Grubb’s hire because of their common link: Washington.

“Simpson is the presumptive favorite headed into the spring, though DeBoer and Grubb’s familiarity with Mack (he was committed to them while they were at Washington) bears watching,” Tatly writes. 

With Grubb and DeBoer at the helm, it will be more of a “may the better player win” rather than favors drawn from previous connections.

“If history between Grubb and DeBoer is any indication, Alabama’s offense should be more dangerous and creative this season,” Tatly wrote.

DeBoer needs to start racking up wins and that requires getting the QB decision right, be it Mack, Simpson, or even blue-chip freshman Keelon Russell. 

The QB competition in Tuscaloosa is even more of a high-stakes, cut-throat competition than it was before with Grubb on board.