Kalen DeBoer didn't need much time to identify what Alabama's biggest offensive problem was as an entire unit following its first scrimmage of fall camp.
It wasn't one player or a position group single-handedly holding Ryan Grubb and the Crimson Tide's offense back. It was an offense that once again took too long to find its rhythm and establish itself when the game-like action began.
DeBoer isn't looking for Alabama's offense to simply find a way to recover from those slow starts. He wants those struggles eliminated entirely.
Kalen DeBoer challenges Ryan Grubb and Alabama offense to start faster
"The challenge to them now would just be starting faster every single time we do these game-like scrimmages and practices, coming out and setting the tone themselves," DeBoer said Thursday.
To me, and many Alabama fans who found themselves repeatedly frustrated while watching the Tide offense struggle to get going last season, that challenge sounds all too familiar. At some point, an offense can't keep needing a jump-start before it finally gets cranking; like a car that struggles to turn over on its own, Grubb's unit has too often needed roadside assistance before it can confidently hit the road at full speed.Â
And that's what makes DeBoer's demands more than just another fall camp coaching point.Â
It's a reminder of a problem Alabama's offense never fully solved last season — and one that has already resurfaced before the 2026 season has even begun.
Remember, Alabama scored three or fewer points in the first quarter in 10 of its 15 games under Grubb last fall during his first season as offensive coordinator in Tuscaloosa.
- Florida State: 0
- Georgia: 0
- Vanderbilt: 0
- Missouri: 0
- LSU: 3
- Oklahoma: 3
- Auburn: 3
- Georgia: 0
- Oklahoma: 0
- Indiana: 0
That number came out to an alarming 66.7% during Alabama's matchups in 2025, which makes the latest slow start difficult to dismiss as a simple product of August or a quarterback room still getting comfortable.
Ty Simpson is gone.
Keelon Russell and Austin Mack continue to compete to take his place. Up front, the offensive line has a new look. While Grubb has his share of new and returning offensive firepower at his disposal.
Yet, the same check engine light continues to show up on DeBoer's dashboard.
This isn't about placing the blame solely on Grubb. One scrimmage isn't enough to draw that conclusion, and DeBoer himself made it clear that this concern was a collective issue.
As each day passes, he inches closer to year two — a season that carries significantly more weight than his first. With his contract set to expire in 2027 and no guaranteed future in Tuscaloosa beyond this fall, Grubb doesn't have the luxury of allowing the same glaring tendencies to follow him into September.
The silver lining is that Alabama still has eight remaining practices and another scrimmage to address it. The Tide also seem to be making continuous progress in identifying the final two spots amongst its starting offensive line, while several of its offensive weapons have yet to be on the field together at full strength.Â
Those are legitimate reasons to believe this offense can look different by the time the August calendar finally flips. It'll be increasingly interesting to see what specific coaching adjustments Grubb and DeBoer make in that time — and whether those changes can get this Crimson Tide offense rolling smoothly when it officially kicks off its regular-season opener at Bryant-Denny Stadium against East Carolina on September 5, and beyond.
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