Here’s a breakdown of the situation you mentioned — involving Sheridan and Jett Thomalla — with what the publicly available reporting shows.
Who is Nick Sheridan?
Sheridan is currently the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach at Alabama Crimson Tide, having joined the staff in February 2024.
Prior to that, he had various roles: quarterback coach, tight ends coach, offensive coordinator, at schools such as the Indiana Hoosiers and the Washington Huskies.
He has been regarded as a strong recruiter and QB developer, which clearly plays into the narrative about the recruiting of Thomalla.
What happened with Jett Thomalla?
Thomalla, from Omaha, Nebraska, initially committed to Iowa State Cyclones on April 18, 2025.
A little over a month later, on June 17, 2025, he flipped his commitment to Alabama.
During that time period, Alabama extended an offer (May 15) and Thomalla visited the campus.
In his comments about the flip, Thomalla cited wanting to play at a place “that could do it best for me” in terms of development toward his NFL goals.
How Sheridan fits into this
The reporting from TideIllustrated states that Sheridan visited Thomalla in Omaha soon after Thomalla had committed to Iowa State.
From that initial in-person meeting with Sheridan, the relationship apparently developed, culminating in the Alabama offer, unofficial and then official visits, and the eventual flip.
The fact Sheridan is seen as “just different” by Thomalla (as you paraphrased) aligns with the quote from Thomalla about how the coaching staff at Alabama believed in him.
Why this matters & what to watch
For Alabama: Getting a quarterback recruit of Thomalla’s profile (6-4/210 lbs, strong junior stats) is a significant win in the 2026 class.
For Iowa State: Losing a committed QB like Thomalla represents a blow to their 2026 class stability.
For Sheridan: This helps bolster his recruiting résumé, particularly at the QB development role, which is high-value at a program like Alabama.
For Thomalla: The move signals he is prioritizing development and exposure (Alabama) over staying with the initial commit. The “just different” comment suggests Sheridan made a personal connection or presented a vision that resonated.
My take / further questions
Sheridan’s visit to Omaha was likely strategic: getting face-to-face with the recruit, building trust, showing Alabama’s vision.
The tangible timeline: commit to Iowa State → Sheridan visits → Alabama offer → visits → flips
What’s interesting: The “official visit” aspect you mentioned for October — Thomalla reportedly planned to return to Alabama for an official visit when Alabama played Tennessee.
What specifically did Sheridan or the Alabama staff communicate to Thomalla to make him feel “just different”?
How much did the QB depth room at Iowa State vs Alabama influence the flip?
How will Sheridan leverage this recruitment in future classes (i.e., does this become a talking point to other QBs)?
If you like, I can pull together direct quotes from Thomalla’s interview and any fine-print from the recruitment reports around the Sheridan visit (timing, content of meeting) to give a full breakdown. Would you like me to dig that?
