This could be DeBoer’s secret weapon for Alabama in 2025

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July 4, 2025

(Alabama Football/Facebook, Seattle Seahawks/Facebook, YHN)

With less than two months until the Alabama Crimson Tide open their second season under coach Kalen DeBoer, expectations are sky-high in Tuscaloosa.

Year one under DeBoer featured spectacular highs and surprising lows. Alabama opened by defeating No. 1 Georgia and looked the part of a national title contender, only to stumble with a shocking loss to Vanderbilt, finish the regular season with three defeats and suffer an embarrassing bowl-game loss to Michigan.

Headed into the second season, expectations are higher on both sides of the ball — and less grace will be offered by fans after defeats.

But on paper, Alabama should be much more equipped to compete this season with a dangerous wide receiver room, a quarterback in Ty Simpson who looks more equipped to run DeBoer’s offense, and a defense with a ton of returning talent which could potentially be one of the best in the nation.

The biggest and most impactful change though might just come on the sidelines rather than on the field, and it could be the secret weapon for DeBoer.

When he initially took the job from Washington, DeBoer brought over a large portion of his staff with the most significant being offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

Grubb has been with DeBoer and helping him call the offense since his days as the head coach of Sioux Falls and is a critical part of the system.

Shortly after arriving in Tuscaloosa last winter though, Grubb wound up leaving for the same job with the Seattle Seahawks, and DeBoer was left having to scramble, moving tight ends coach Nick Sheridan to the big chair.

Sheridan did not do a terrible job, but one year later, things did not work out in the NFL for Grubb and the Crimson Tide was able to scoop him up.

Grubb is back in his longtime position of being DeBoer’s offensive coordinator and takes a ton of the pressure off the head coach, allowing DeBoer to focus his attention elsewhere rather than having to have a major hand in calling the plays in addition to every other responsibility of a head coach.

With Grubb on the headset, DeBoer can trust that he can fully hand off the keys to someone who has made a career off calling his plays.

Of all the new faces surrounding the program and on the field this season, Grubb might just make the biggest impact of all of them.

Michael Brauner is a Senior Sports Analyst and Contributing Writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @MBraunerWNSP and hear him every weekday morning from 6 to 9 a.m. on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5, available free online.