What Nick Sheridan's 2025 Role Means for Alabama Football's Quarterback Room

One of the questions about the 2025 Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback room, at least from a coaching perspective, seems to have been met with some clarity. Former offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan, who coached quarterbacks last season, will continue those duties despite the hiring of Ryan Grubb this month.

Bama247's Alex Scarborough reported Monday evening that Sheridan's new role amid the reunion of Grubb with head coach Kalen DeBoer would hold some familiarity. Prior reporting from ESPN suggested Sheridan would remain in Tuscaloosa.

Last season, Sheridan was initially going to serve as DeBoer's tight ends coach after following him to Alabama from Washington. Once Grubb moved back to Seattle to be the offensive coordinator for the NFL's Seahawks, Sheridan and JaMarcus Shephard became co-offensive coordinators.

Grubb's return means he will reassume the post of offensive coordinator, but Sheridan also coached quarterbacks at Alabama last fall. A former Michigan Wolverines quarterback himself, he's worked with the likes of former Heisman runner-up and current Atlanta Falcon Michael Penix Jr.

Alabama will have a new look at the quarterback position in 2025, owing to the departure of two-year starter Jalen Milroe to the NFL Draft. Milroe had his peaks and valleys, but did put his talent and superb athleticism on display at times in 2024. However, in three of the Crimson Tide's four losses, the offense struggled, as did Milroe (including SEC games against Tennessee and Oklahoma).

Reserve quarterback Dylan Lonergan also departed the program, transferring to Boston College to play for former Alabama offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. He had been with the program for two seasons.

The three main faces in the room are expected to be Ty Simpson, Austin Mack and Keelon Russell. Simpson has the most experience out of the three. He appeared in six games in 2024 and collected a rushing touchdown. He's perhaps best known for relieving Tyler Buchner against USF on Sept. 16, 2023, and helping Alabama to a road win in Tampa.

Simpson has also reaffirmed his commitment to stick with DeBoer and the Crimson Tide. Mack transferred in last season from Washington, tossing a nifty touchdown pass to Rico Scott on Nov. 16 against Mercer. He never played for the Huskies but is familiar with DeBoer.

Russell is a former five-star recruit and recent signee out of Texas who's a blue-chip prospect in every sense of the phrase. His future is seen as incredibly bright, and he has a rapport with Sheridan thanks to his recruitment journey.

Sheridan staying put at Alabama is a mark of consistency for the quarterback position, even if there will be a new starter at the position. Despite a relative lack of playing experience for the group, the upside is there (and Simpson has now played in more than a regular season's worth of total games).

Meanwhile, the addition of Grubb also adds to the potential of the quarterback room and the offense as a whole. With a combination of familiarity and the introduction of a dynamic new coordinator, the position is equipped for success in the first year with a new starter.