Alabama football’s freshman quarterback, Keelon Russell is happy to have Ryan Grubb back in Tuscaloosa as the Crimson Tide’s offensive coordinator.
in Tuscaloosa after a very short stint with the Tide upon Kalen DeBoer’s hiring at Alabama and a year as the Seattle Seahawks’ head coach. He returns to work under DeBoer which is what he did for two years at Washington.
Russell feels this move will benefit him and the Tide’s offense.
“What he did with Michael Penix, it’s legendary,” Russell said, per ON3’s Nick Schultz. “I’m excited…the offense finna turn up this year. We’re finna be great.”
The Crimson Tide have a quarterback competition in front of them, and Russell looks to have an opportunity to make some noise in year one.
The five-star is an early enrollee with the Tide at the moment and is participating in Alabama’s off-season program.
Alabama football is trending for an elite CB prospect in the 2026 recruiting cycle who has a commitment scheduled for next Wednesday, February 19th.
4-star CB Jorden Edmonds from Sprayberry High School in Marietta, Georgia is trending toward the Crimson Tide with a little over a week to go until he makes his announcement.
The 6-foot-3, 175 pound rising high school senior is ranked as the 106th best prospect and 10th best CB in the 247Composite rankings.
It’s an all-SEC affair for the blue-chip corner. Along with Alabama, his final five consists of Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, and Tennessee.
Alabama extended an offer to Edmonds in March of last year and they are currently trending for his commitment. The On3 RPM (recruiting prediction machine) gives Alabama a 97.8% chance of landing his commitment.
As things currently stand, Alabama only has a single commitment in the 2026 class. 4-star CB Zyan Gibson from Gadsden, AL committed to the Crimson Tide in December. Early commitments tend to mean very little in today’s recruiting climate, but Gibson seems pretty solid at the moment.
Alabama has one of the top defensive back coaches in the country in Maurice Linguist and he helped the Tide sign an outstanding secondary class a year ago. Expect the Crimson Tide to do that again in 2026.
Alabama is also in the Top 5 for another recruit who is expected to announce his college choice this month. 3-star OL Bear McWhorter from White, GA is scheduled to announce his commitment on February 28th and has Alabama in the final group with Michigan, South Carolina, Clemson, and Florida.
There’s no crystal ball picks in for McWhorter, but he was named after legendary Alabama coach Bear Bryant. That seems like good news for the Crimson Tide.
Elite TE Kaiden Prothro also recently announced Alabama as one of the final five schools in contention for his services.
5-star WR Tristen Keys recently locked in an official visit with the Crimson Tide.
We are technically in a “dead period” for recruiting, but a lot of work has gone in and Alabama should start seeing a flurry of commitments in the coming months as the 2026 class begins to take shape.
Alabama football is finding a way to use both Ryan Grubb and Nick Sheridan this season.
Sheridan, who called plays as offensive coordinator in 2024, will remain on staff and coach the quarterbacks in 2025, a source with knowledge of the situation told AL.com. It’s unclear yet what Sheridan’s exact title will be.
Sheridan spent the past year with the title of quarterbacks coach in addition to offensive coordinator. Then Alabama added Grubb this offseason to be offensive coordinator after he became available because the Seattle Seahawks fired him after one year.
Grubb and Sheridan also worked together on the Washington staff where Grubb was offensive coordinator and Sheridan was tight ends coach. Then Sheridan and Grubb were set to fill the same role on the Alabama staff in 2024, but then Grubb left after a few weeks to be the Seahawks’ play caller. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer then promoted Sheridan to offensive coordinator for the 2024 season.
Sheridan worked with Ty Simpson and Austin Mack in 2024, who were backups to starting quarterback Jalen Milroe. Sheridan was also the primary recruiter for freshman Keelon Russell, the top recruit in the 2025 class per the 247Sports Composite.
A lot of critics once doubted Jalen Hurts’ ability to thrive as an NFL quarterback. Fast forward to 2025, and he’s proven them all wrong, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a dominant victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, earning both the championship and Super Bowl MVP honors.
Hurts’ journey to this point has been remarkable. His first glimpse of the spotlight came during Alabama’s 2016 season opener when, as a freshman, he replaced an ineffective Blake Barnett. Despite fumbling on his first snap, Hurts showcased his resilience by scoring four touchdowns and leading Alabama to a 52-6 victory over USC. This early performance was just a glimpse of what was to come. Hurts quickly became a dominant force, winning the SEC Offensive Player of the Year award and leading Alabama to a 26-2 record as the starting quarterback, including two consecutive national championship appearances. In his first title game, he scored a crucial go-ahead touchdown but fell short as Deshaun Watson led Clemson to a game-winning drive.
The following year, Hurts found himself benched in the national championship game against Georgia. Tua Tagovailoa came off the bench to lead Alabama to victory, but Hurts stayed composed and supported his team. His unselfishness in that moment made him a beloved figure in Tuscaloosa. Hurts transferred to Oklahoma for his final season to start, and after a stellar year, he was drafted by the Eagles in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. However, doubts about his future as an NFL quarterback lingered, with some questioning whether he could succeed at the pro level. Even his selection by the Eagles, with Carson Wentz as the starter, was met with criticism and mockery.
Now, Hurts is the one holding the Super Bowl MVP trophy, and Carson Wentz is watching from the sidelines in Kansas City. Hurts’ leadership, poise, and offensive contributions, including 221 passing yards, two touchdowns, and a team-leading 72 rushing yards and a touchdown in the Super Bowl, cemented his legacy. He not only silenced his doubters but proved to the world that he could lead the Eagles to the ultimate victory. Hurts’ Super Bowl MVP win marked a historic achievement, making him the first former Crimson Tide player to earn that honor since Joe Namath in Super Bowl III.
The critics who once labeled him a “system QB” or a mere athlete pretending to be a quarterback have been proven wrong. Jalen Hurts is now not just an NFL quarterback—he is a Super Bowl champion.
Former Alabama star and current Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith joins a very short list of elite players after winning the Super Bowl.
Ex-Alabama and current Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith made college football and NFL history in the Super Bowl game.
Ex-Alabama and current Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith made college football and NFL history in the Super Bowl game.
DeVonta Smith made all kinds of history as the Philadelphia Eagles clobbered the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX, thwarting pro football’s first would-be three-peat, and putting his own name in the record books in the process.
By catching a 46-yard touchdown from quarterback Jalen Hurts, the Eagles wide receiver became the first player drafted from Alabama to score a touchdown in a Super Bowl game.
Granted, a few Alabama players have been responsible for touchdowns in a Super Bowl before ─ notably quarterbacks like Bart Starr, Joe Namath, and Ken Stabler ─ but the NFL doesn’t technically count touchdown passes as individual points credited to a player, and thus, not to a college.
But not only that, Smith also became the fifth player ever and the first wide receiver in history to…
Alabama produced four Heisman Trophy winning players during Nick Saban’s head coaching career, but Smith is the first Crimson Tide alum to complete this historic trifecta.
Smith is also the Alabama record-holder in three critical categories, finishing his collegiate career with 235 total receptions, 3,965 receiving yards, and 46 receiving touchdowns.
He completed his legendary Crimson Tide career by catching 117 passes for 1,856 yards and scoring 23 touchdowns during Bama’s national title run in 2020.
From there, Smith was selected as the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles, the first step towards his becoming a Super Bowl champion.
Over his NFL career leading up to this year’s Super Bowl game, Smith has 308 catches for 4,011 yards and 27 touchdowns over four seasons.
Who are the other players to win a national championship, the Heisman Trophy, and the Super Bowl? It’s a very short list.
Tony Dorsett: The legendary running back won the national championship at Pittsburgh in the 1976 season, rushing for 2,150 yards and 22 touchdowns, the same year he won the Heisman Trophy.
The No. 2 overall draft pick to Dallas the next year, Dorsett went on to win Super Bowl XII with the Dallas Cowboys in 1977 while rushing for over 1,000 yards and earning Rookie of the Year honors.
Marcus Allen: The former running back was on a national championship team at USC in the 1978 football season, one that is recognized by the Coaches Poll, when he was backup to Heisman running back Charles White.
Allen then won the Heisman himself in the 1981 season after rushing for a career-high 2,342 yards and 22 touchdowns. He went on to win Super Bowl XVIII with the Los Angeles Raiders after the 1983 season, defeating the Washington Redskins, 38-9.
Charles Woodson: The cornerback won the Heisman Trophy as a rare defensive honoree in 1997, the same year he and Michigan won a share of the national championship.
Woodson won Super Bowl XLV as a member of the Green Bay Packers and finished his Hall of Fame career in a three-way tie for the most defensive touchdowns in NFL history.
Reggie Bush: The former USC tailback won the Heisman after his 1,740 yard performance in the 2005 season.
USC won a share of the national championship in 2003 — AP voters broke with the BCS despite LSU winning the designated title game and named the Trojans the No. 1 team in the country — and another title in 2004, and then Bush won Super Bowl XLIV with the New Orleans Saints in 2009.
Devonta Smith and the Philadelphia Eagles are Super Bowl LIX champions. And while that’s special for Eagles fans everywhere, how the game played out is even more unbelievable for wide receiver Devonta Smith and the Alabama Crimson Tide history that he made!
Believe it or not when Devonta Smith scored his long touchdown on a perfect pass from Eagles (and former Alabama) quarterback Jalen Hurts it was the first time ever that a player drafted out of Alabama had scored a rushing or receiving touchdown in a Super Bowl!
Yes, Jalen Hurts had scored rushing touchdowns in Super Bowl(s) and did so on Sunday too, but he finished his career with Oklahoma, so that doesn’t technically count. Still, it was special to see two former Alabama greats connect on the dagger touchdown score, sealing the Super Bowl LIX win for the Eagles before the third quarter was even over.
And while the touchdown was special enough, it wasn’t the only NFL history that Devonta Smith made in Super Bowl LIX. He became the first Alabama player to ever win a Heisman, national championship, and a Super Bowl!
Only one other player in the history of the NFL had done that too. Marcus Allen won the Heisman Trophy in 1981, a national championship with USC in 1978, and then won a Super Bowl with the Los Angeles Raiders in 1984.
Allen of course went on to make it into the Hall of Fame. Could that be in the future for Devonta Smith?
It’s still quite early in Devonta Smith’s NFL career, but he’s represented the Alabama Crimson Tide well as a star wide receiver for the Philadelphia Eagles. Smith already has over 4000 yards and 27 touchdowns (in the regular season) through just four seasons of NFL play. Now he adds Super Bowl champion to his already unbelievable resume. Smith, still just 26 years old, has plenty of time to make much more history here soon, but for now it’s just time to celebrate. Congrats, Devonta.
The university announced that the Tide will take on Oklahoma during their annual homecoming game Nov. 15.
November’s matchup between the two will be the 8th in series history. The Tide currently hold a 21-game winning streak during homecoming weekend.
Kickoff for the game against the Sooners is to be determined still. The university says more information regarding homecoming activities and more will also be released at a later date.
The 2024 college football season has ended, and teams are looking for ways to improve for the 2025 season. This includes the Alabama Crimson Tide.
In head coach Kalen DeBoer’s first year, the team finished with a 9-4 record. DeBoer took over after the legendary Nick Saban retired following the 2023 season, having led Alabama football for 17 seasons. However, DeBoer’s debut season did not go as expected, marking the Crimson Tide’s worst season since 2007, Saban’s initial year.
Furthermore, Alabama did not make the College Football Playoff and lost to three teams that finished with five or more losses. Their final defeat was a 19-13 loss to the 8-5 Michigan Wolverines in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer watches before taking the field for a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Raymond James Stadium. Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer watches before taking the field for a game against the Michigan Wolverines at Raymond James Stadium. Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images Matt Pendleton-Imagn Images On “The Paul Finebaum Show,” SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum discussed the loss and attributed it to poor coaching.
“Players, No. 1, don’t care about much,” Finebaum said. “When Alabama didn’t make it to the College Football Playoff, I don’t think they really cared (about the bowl game). I also blame the coaching staff for doing a terrible job preparing them for the game because Michigan was basically a high school team with all those players missing.”
Finebaum described Alabama’s loss in that game as “utterly disgraceful.” The Wolverines had 23 players who opted out of the game, including defensive lineman Mason Graham, cornerback Will Johnson, and tight end Colston Loveland, all expected to be first-round picks in the 2025 NFL Draft.
In contrast, Alabama had no opt-outs, which is why Finebaum was so disappointed with their performance. Now that the 2024 season is over, DeBoer and his team are likely eager to move on as they prepare for a strong 2025 comeback.
George Pickens and the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a love-hate relationship since he got selected in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. On one hand, Pickens is their No. 1 receiver by a large margin and possibly the most talented player on their offense. However, on the flip side, his bothersome antics on and off the field seem to cause the Steelers quite the headache, causing the rumor mill of trade destinations to heat up ahead of the 2025 NFL offseason.
Coming into the draft, this was something all 32 teams were aware of. He’s a player with tantalizing talent, yet, he can go off the rails at any moment.
That’s especially true when Pittsburgh go up against an AFC North team, as their divisional rivals have seemingly picked up on Picknes’ tendencies.
Over his time as the Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin has led many players with a slew of different personalities. He even got Antonio Brown to act right enough of the time.
Since being drafted in 2022, the Steelers’ receiver has accumulated 174 receptions, 2,841 yards, and 12 touchdowns, showing that he’s capable of being a true No. 1 receiver in the NFL.
The most impressive part of Pickens’ game is his ability to make highlight-reel catches consistently.
However, with the Steelers heading into the 2025 NFL offseason, Pickens could be a potential trade target with these five teams being the best landing spots for the 23-year-old receiver.
Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
Going into the 2025 NFL offseason, the New England Patriots are a team that desperately needs an alpha-type receiver.
In 2024, their leading receiver was Hunter Henry, who hauled in 66 passes for 674 yards and two touchdowns.
If — for some reason — that seems low, it’s because it is.
In 2024, the Patriots were the worst passing offense in the NFL, averaging just 176.1 yards per game, per ESPN.
Although he didn’t start until Week 6, Maye is a talented quarterback, which is why the Patriots drafted him with the No. 3 pick in 2024.
However, given Jerod Mayo’s lackluster coaching that resulted in him being fired after just one season, the lack of offensive linemen, and the lack of pass-catching weapons, Maye was set up to fail in his first year.
But, after hiring Mike Vrabel, New England appears to be ready to fight, and trading for Pickens could be a good move to give Maye a reliable weapon in 2025.
George Pickens trade destination No. 4: Washington Commanders
With an offense featuring Jayden Daniels and Terry McLaurin, the Washington Commanders could be an interesting team to take a chance on the Steelers’ receiver.
Although their offense ranked fifth in scoring across the league (28.5 points per game), their passing offense wasn’t nearly as effective.
Throughout the 2024 regular season, Daniels and the Commanders’ offense ranked 17th with 215.6 passing yards per game. These aren’t bad numbers under a rookie quarterback on a team with the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
However, with McLaurin being the team’s main target in the passing game, they could use another receiver, especially a walking highlight reel like Pickens.
The Commanders saw a lot of deep-ball connections between Daniels and McLaurin, and as a vertical threat receiver, he could pair well with Kliff Kingsbury’s offense in Washington.
Pickens likely wouldn’t cost an arm and a leg to trade for given his unpredictable behavior, making a trade between Washington and Pittsburgh possible.
George Pickens trade destination No. 3: Kansas City Chiefs
Denny Medley-Imagn Images
In seemingly every rumor regarding a receiver trade, the Kansas City Chiefs are one of the top landing spots each time.
It makes sense with Patrick Mahomes as quarterback.
Now, going into the 2025 NFL offseason, the Chiefs don’t necessarily need a receiver.
Now, while the Chiefs would be a good landing spot for Pickens, there’s nothing really proving that the Chiefs would want to put up with Pickens’ nonsense.
As a team that seems to find success offensively with or without talented pass-catchers, Pickens could cause more of a headache than he’s worth trading for.
But, in the same vein, the idea of watching Mahomes chuck deep shots to Pickens and watching him make an acrobatic catch seems like something that Andy Reid could get excited about.
He didn’t necessarily work out for the team, and Kansas City could’ve learned from that lesson.
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If they didn’t, however, Pickens and Mahomes could be a lethal duo.
George Pickens trade destination No. 2: Las Vegas Raiders
One of the less obvious trade destinations for Pickens would be the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s not a team that many would peg as the clear-cut choice for Pickens, but they’re a team that could be in the Pickens sweepstakes, per Chris Adamski.
“I think there’s a chance that a team like the Raiders – the Raiders actually make a lot of sense – comes in and just makes an offer they can’t refuse,” Adamski said. “Or it gets leaked out there in the spring, [and people start calling], ‘Is George available?’ Just put that flier out there and see if those teams make them a high-draft pick offer that you almost have to take.”
Now, the Raiders don’t have an ideal quarterback situation, which could cause issues down the road for Pickens. But, if they can address that position with a strong, veteran presence — like a Jameis Winston, Kirk Cousins, or even Sam Darnold — there’s a possibility it could work.
Given their draft pick and the class of quarterbacks in 2025, it’s not super likely that Las Vegas will end up with a franchise quarterback in this upcoming offseason, but options are available.
After seeing Brock Bowers’ rookie season, it shows that this team can have success through the air offensively.
So, adding a receiver like Pickens in the offseason could be a great move for the Raiders if they can pull it off and keep him happy.
George Pickens trade destination No. 1: Buffalo Bills
And with Pickens, they’d be getting another Diggs-esque receiver: a highly talented receiver who comes with baggage.
Now, Pickens’ baggage could be more detrimental to the team because his problems usually get met with 15-yard penalties.
With Diggs, most of the problems seemed internal, as it appeared that he would throw tantrums for not getting the ball enough.
Pickens isn’t clear of presenting that type of behavior, but most of his antics involve being a bit too rough with opponents or just making silly mistakes.
So, with either receiver, there’s baggage.
But, with Josh Allen and the Bills relying on Khalil Shakir as their No. 1 option, they need a true alpha in the receiver room.
Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer leads the Crimson Tide out the tunnel onto the field for season opener versus Western Kentucky.
The 2024 football season was a period of transition for Alabama but under second year head coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff the level of commitment is reportedly different early on in the offseason.
The demeanor of the Tide has grown “more serious”, from workouts to regulations and all the players know it. The outlook is different. Alabama junior offensive lineman, Rod Montgomery made this apparent in a recent podcast interview on “The Bama Standard.”
The Bama Standard: Exclusive Interview w/Alabama OL Roq Montgomery | 1999 Tide Comeback Story
“The message right now from me and my teammates, just our entire staff, is we got a different outlook on everything,” Montgomery said. “It’s not like we ain’t never been serious about anything, because there’s things that we do, but we just got to get back to the old days, to when Bama does nothing but win, and win championships. That’s the main focus right now.”
The 6-foot-3, 337 pound lineman then went into detail on the subtle changes the Alabama staff has brought this offseason and discussed how the Tide are more “dialed in”.
“You can’t be late to workouts no more,” Montgomery said. “No more jewelry. No more necklaces. None of that. It’s not a fashion show. It’s football.”
With a year under DeBoer’s belt in Tuscaloosa, things appear to be more momentous for the Tide in 2025.
