First up, congrats to Alabama legend, Scott Cochran, for his new job as the head coach at West Alabama!
Scott Cochran is back in the game. The former Alabama football strength coach is the new head coach at West Alabama, the Tigers announced on Monday.
Cochran had been out of coaching since after the 2023 season, instead working to promote addiction recovery.
“I am honored and grateful for the opportunity to lead the University of West Alabama football program as head coach,” Cochran said in a press release from UWA announcing the hire. “UWA has a rich tradition of athletic excellence, and I look forward to working with our talented student-athletes, dedicated staff, and passionate community to continue that legacy. Together, we will strive for greatness and make our supporters proud.”
“My own personal struggles have given me a unique perspective that allows me to expertly develop players and prepare them to go to the next level,” Cochran said in the release. “I get to know players better than they know themselves, and I feel that I have something to give back through head coaching. This is more than just a job for me; it’s a calling to help young men grow both on and off the field.”
It’s been a long, rocky road for Cochran, so seeing him get his first shot as a head coach is awesome. Here’s to hoping he has great success in the south west corner of the state and parlays it into a big time job in future.
Speaking of new coaching hires, Ryan Grubb continues to be the talk of the town around Alabama football right now.
As a fan of the Seattle Seahawks, I’m likely more lukewarm on Grubb’s return than most Alabama fans. Still, there’s a lot of good that Grubb has shown in his past, and maybe things just didn’t translate to the NFL.
For his part, Greg McElroy loves the hire:
“This is the third time that Alabama has pursued Grubb,” McElroy said. “It started by Nick Saban in 2023, and Ryan Grubb said ‘Man, I can’t leave, we have a chance to be great as Washington. He parlayed that year to a job at Alabama. He followed Kalen DeBoer. He was the offensive coordinator there on staff for a couple weeks. The NFL carousel started going, so the Seattle Seahawks tried to hire him. He was recently fired by the Seahawks and will now be the OC at Alabama.”
Getting Grubb is something the program has tried to do for some time, and McElroy said it’s a great hire.
“I think this is a great hire,” McElroy said. “Ryan Grubb is a really cerebral coach. Look at the different ways he tries to attack opposing defenses. He has a great feel for how to create confusion. He creates a lot of problems for the opponent. That is why Nick Saban wanted him, that is why the NFL wanted him and why Kalen DeBoer wanted him.”
Schematically, I don’t suspect there will be much difference between Nick Sheridan and Ryan Grubb. The carries that Jalen Milroe used will go to the running backs, but outside of that, the balance of the offense will likely stay similar. Grubb does bring a good bit more experience, though. And for better or worse, he does have a year of learning in the NFL now.
The stakes couldn’t be higher or DeBoer’s second season. Saban won 12 games in his Year 2. DeBoer can’t afford to whiff on this quarterback decision. If Simpson does not steer Alabama into national championship contention – because, let’s be real, that’s the standard both quarterback and coach accepted by coming to Alabama – then that reflects on the coach who trusted him.
Eleven of the 12 quarterbacks of playoff qualifiers had become a starter within their first three collegiate seasons. The majority became starters within their first two years. Some, like Ohio State’s Will Howard, Notre Dame’s Riley Leonard and Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, later transferred up the ladder and continued as starters at better programs.
DeBoer’s sticking with Simpson embraces a vintage roster strategy, but, perhaps, Carson Beck serves as a model for what’s possible. He spent three seasons as a Georgia backup before becoming one of the nation’s best quarterbacks in 2023. He qualified Georgia for the playoff this season before an injury kept him out of the postseason.
Never mind Beck’s regression in 2024, if Simpson mirrors Beck’s trajectory, that would be a boon for DeBoer and a credit to his trusting the veteran backup. Or, if Simpson sputters, fault DeBoer for replicating Freeze’s mistake.
That Alabama did not pursue a QB in the transfer portal does seem to be telling. For what it’s worth, Alabama’s current QB room consists of a 4th year veteran who was a 5-star and #26 player in the country, a high 4-star that was ranked #73, and an incoming freshman who is #1 overall in the country and Alabama’s highest-ever ranked recruit.
That is a heck of a trio to pick from, and one that outweighs any of Alabama’s previous QB rooms over the last… forever… in terms of pure recruiting rankings.
I’m still holding out a lot of hope for Ty Simpson. Ideally, he’s grown into the role after taking time to develop the last three years and will have an amazing 1-and-done season, giving room for Keelon Russell to learn for a season before taking over.
On the recruiting front, Alabama just finished up a Junior Day that, by all accounts, was all the talk of the town among the country’s top prospects. BamaOnline, as usual, has a lot of info surrounding the big day.
Some of their stuff is behind paywall, of course, but you can always listen to their podcast for free.
Most notably, California defensive back Brandon Arrington may be the next in line to be another 5-star DB from the Golden State to join Alabama. Sounds like Alabama is the leader for him right now.
Finally, here’s a cool piece from Tuscaloosa News with some interviews of former teammates of new Alabama cornerback, Cameron Calhoun:
After spending a year with Calhoun at Utah, Talfuna, a former Utes defensive tackle, said one story explains the cornerback to a tee.
“He just be sitting in the locker room like after a lift like ‘Man, I’m ready to practice,’” Talfuna told the Tuscaloosa News at the 2025 Senior Bowl. “Bro, it’s like 9 a.m. We just got done with a lift. I want to go take a nap, and you’re talking about practicing?
“He’s always trying to get everyone amped up.”
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On the field, Calhoun is a “baller,” one that made a significant impact on Utah after transferring to the Utes after one season with Michigan. Off the field, Calhoun is passionate with “a little goofiness,” Talfuna said.
“He had an interception on the sideline, (showing) that he can run, catch up speed, elevate and high point the ball,” Reid said. “Fans got a lot to be excited about.”
In 11 games for the Utes, Calhoun, standing at 6-foot, 177 pounds, had 21 tackles, one tackle-for-loss and one sack. He had nine pass break ups — fourth best in the Big 12 — in less than 400 snaps per Pro Football Focus.
“He’s a silent assassin,” Tafuna said. “But he makes plays. His passion is so great. You watch his film, man… he dropped a couple of them. But this year, he’s going to develop. He’ll catch those…. You watch his film. Frick, bro, it’s crazy to see him do that.
“You’re just playing catch with the quarterback.”
Calhoun is likely to start out as the first backup behind Domani Jackson and Zabien Brown, but don’t be surprised to see him as a regular part of the rotation all season long.
