3 Observations on Jaguars Hiring OC Grant Udinski

The Jacksonville Jaguars made it official late Wednesday night: Grant Udinski is their newest offensive coordinator.

The final major piece of new head coach Liam Coen's first Jaguars staff, Udinski will now work hand in hand with Coen to build the Jaguars offense moving forward.

“Grant will bring a wealth of knowledge, energy and a winning mindset to help lead our offense here in Jacksonville,” Coen said in a statement. “He is a rising star in this league that has been a pillar of success for the Vikings organization and we can’t wait to have him lead our offense.”

So, what do we make of the Jaguars' newest hire? We break it down below.

Udinski has been on a rocket trajectory for some time

Considering Udinski got five offensive coordinator interviews this cycle, it is more than fair to say he was already on track to become an offensive coordinator before the Jaguars hired him. It may have taken one more offseason, but it became clear the Vikings were going to lose their offensive wunderkind sooner than later.

Udinski quickly rose the ranks in Minnesota and became a trusted part of Kevin O'Connell's staff. The way he skyrocketed under O'Connell despite the two not coaching together before 2022 show that the Vikings' respected coach has plenty of trust and respect in Udinski. As a result, it is fair to say he has been on this trajectory for quite some time.

Udinski's track record with quarterbacks could be big for Trevor Lawrence

Few franchises have accomplished more in terms of quarterback development than the Vikings in recent years. Kirk Cousins played good football in their system, they managed to prepare several backups on short notice while Cousins was injured, and of course Sam Darnold had the best year of his career in 2024.

This is good news for Trevor Lawrence and anyone else who is in the quarterback room in 2025. Udinski has been a part of a lot of success at the position over the years and was said to be a key piece of the quarterback room in terms of preparation over the last few seasons. Having an offensive coordinator with an emphasis on the quarterback position can only be a positive for the Jaguars.

Jaguars' new offensive brain trust is rooted in youth

The Jacksonville staff is certainly shaping up to be a young one, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Udinski turned 29 last month, Coen is 39, quarterbacks coach Spencer Whipple is 35. As of right now, the oldest coaches on the offensive side of the ball are 45-year-old Shane Waldron and 44-year-old Richard Angulo.

It is a bold move to go so young at some key positions, but the league has seen it work before in Los Angeles. Coen has a long way to go to prove he can develop a staff like the Rams and Sean McVay, but the clear goal and hope here is for the Jaguars to see a similar outcome in terms of overall results and consistency.

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