Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb makes a bold statement regarding the Crimson Tide’s quarterback room heading into 2026
Ryan Grubb planted his flag when it comes to the Alabama QB room in 2026.
For the first time in the Kalen DeBoer era, the Alabama Crimson Tide will be starting a quarterback with no ties to Nick Saban. Now, whether that is Keelon Russell or Austin Mack remains to be seen, but both were handpicked by DeBoer.
That obviously raises a ton of questions about the offense and team as a whole in 2026, as we have seen first-time signal callers flop, but also flourish. If you ask Crimson Tide offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb what he thinks of the new room, he’s clearly on one side of the equation.
Ryan Grubb says Alabama has two of the best quarterbacks in the country
If you’re looking for experience, the man of the hour would be Austin Mack. He followed Kalen DeBoer from Washington and is approaching his fourth year in the offense. While nothing came from it, Mack was also the man who replaced Ty Simpson after the Rose Bowl was well out of reach.
But Keelon Russell is the 5-star. A player who is said to be wise beyond his years. A passer who, when watching his high school tape, looks like a 10 year veteran both mechanically and from the neck up, and that gives Ryan Grubb a ton of optimism.
“I think a lot of people were waiting to see what we do in the portal, and with Austin Mack and Keelon Russell, we got exactly who we need,” Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb told WAKA Action 8 News at the ALFCA convention last week, via On3. “They’re two of the best quarterbacks in the country.”
That’s a bold statement when considering the two of them have a combined 47 passing attempts in a Crimson Tide uniform, but if we know anything about Kalen DeBoer, and more specifically, Kalen DeBoer when he has Ryan Grubb with him, it’s that the quarterback play is pretty good.
We saw Jalen Milroe take a big leap in his development under DeBoer and Ty Simpson was a Heisman frontrunner before injuries started to accrue. It’s a powerful statement and a big bet from Alabama in what is shaping up to be a pivotal year three in the Kalen DeBoer era.
Alabama Crimson Tide News
Alabama Crimson Tide’s latest transfer portal addition adds depth to a unit that has to perform much better in 2026
Alabama finally added a running back in the transfer portal.
