Breaking Down Jeff Grimes' Offense
Per Pete Thamel, Wisconsin has hired current Kansas OC Jeff Grimes as their new offensive coordinator. Here's what his offense looks like and how he might impact Wisconsin's offensive identity.
Jeff Grimes is a two-time Broyles Award nominee, an award that goes to the best coordinator in college football. He was nominated once during his time at BYU (2020) and a second time during his stint at Baylor (2021).
Grimes’ “RVO” philosophy, which stands for “Reliable Violent Offense” is a multi-formation offense that focuses on misdirection and blocking schemes as well as being physical at the line of scrimmage. Before becoming an OC, Grimes was mainly an offensive line coach at schools such as LSU and Auburn.
What stands out to me about Jeff Grimes’ offenses is the run-heavy identity that also incorporates plenty of passing plays and sets. Grimes’ style reminds me somewhat of UNLV’s Brennan Marion who Wisconsin was rumored to have considered for this role. Like Marion, Grimes incorporates pitch and triple option-inspired plays that work to deceive the defense while also staying physical.
For example, check out play from Kansas’ upset win over #17 Iowa State this season below:
Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels is a dual-threat player who draws the defense towards him. Both the fullback and tailback (Neal) follow suit in what is a semi-triple option formation. Daniels pitches the ball back to Neal while the fullback blocks, paving the way for an easy 13-yard touchdown run. What I like about these plays is how it incorporates the fullback into them, which Wisconsin had lots of success with during the Barry Alvarez and even the Bret Bielema and Paul Chryst days.
During Grimes’ time at Kansas this season, the Jayhawks upset three-ranked teams in Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado. All three of these teams were squarely in the race for the Big 12 until Kansas beat them. Wins like these haven’t happened in a long time for the Badgers.
This hire also makes it clear about what types of quarterbacks Wisconsin will target out of the portal: dual-threats. Coach Fickell made it clear he wanted to have quarterbacks who were mobile in his program, which is why he flipped a guy like Carter Smith from Michigan. The Jeff Grimes hire only further proves this sentiment and tells fans that Wisconsin will be partially returning to its “three yards and a cloud of dust” roots next season.
Parts of the Wisconsin fanbase on social media are iffy on the hire for a couple reasons. Some are concerned about Grimes because Kansas fans didn’t like him as a coach. Others are frustrated that Fickell opted against hiring a flashier name like Brennan Marion (UNLV) as I mentioned or a Joe Craddock (Tulane). However, I understand where Fickell is coming from. He wanted to hire someone who was more run-heavy and Grimes fits that bill perfectly. The hiring of Grimes also allows Fickell to hire a new quarterbacks coach on top of offensive coordinator, which could be important for the future as well.
I also get why Fickell was hesitant to bring a guy like Marion or Craddock over. Neither of those options have any recent Power Four coaching experience as an offensive coordinator. Fickell cannot risk his next offensive coordinator not working out or else his job will be on the line. Grimes offers more stability and a clearer offensive identity than Phil Longo and also aligns better with what Coach Fickell wants Wisconsin football to look like.
Another thing I’d like to add is how successful the last Kansas OC was as a Big Ten hire. As Badger fans might remember, Penn State’s offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki left Lawrence for Happy Valley last off-season and completely revamped this Nittany Lions offense. Grimes has not only gotten experience at three Power Four schools, but he also has had a year under Kansas head coach Lance Leipold, who is partly why Kotelnicki is so creative.
What I also like about Grimes is that his style of offense meshes well with the current talent on the Wisconsin roster. Soon-to-be sophomore running backs Darrion Dupree and Dilin Jones will be the heart of this Badgers offense next year. Similar to how Kotelnicki worked to use both Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen to his advantage at PSU, Grimes can use these two young backs as the backbone of the offense.
If I had to give this hire a grade, I’d give it a B+. While it isn’t as flashy as many Wisconsin fans might have hoped, Grimes fits Wisconsin football better than any other offensive coordinator out there. He has years of high-major experience and is an excellent recruiter for the offensive line room. He was certainly an unexpected hire, but I think he will fit in well in Madison.