2024 Alabama Crimson Tide Position Preview: Special Teams

The Crimson Tide may have the top kicker/punter duo in the country entering the 2024 season.

Dec 2, 2023; Atlanta, GA, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide punter James Burnip (86) punts against the Georgia Bulldogs in the first quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

There have been years in recent Alabama history where special teams has plagued the team throughout the season, whether it be inconsistent kicking, poor punting, or a combination of both.

But looking at the special teams lineup the Crimson Tide has put together for the fall, 2024 looks to be one of the strongest years for Alabama specialists in recent memory.

You may ask, how? Alabama lost kicker Will Reichard, arguably the best kicker in school history and the all-time leading scorer in the history of college football. He's now a Minnesota Viking after getting drafted in April, seemingly leaving a massive hole at placekicker, possibly returning Alabama to its field goal kicking woes of the pre-Reichard era.

Instead of going through a placekicker competition with the young kickers on the roster, Kalen DeBoer opted to find his replacement in the transfer portal, and you could argue there wasn't a better replacement available.

Enter Graham Nicholson, transfer kicker from Miami (OH). Last season, Nicholson won the Lou Groza Award for the best kicker in college football, an award Reichard was a finalist for. Nicholson made 27 of 28 field goals last season, and has made 60 of 71 field goals across his 3-year career.

So after losing the all-time leading scorer in college football history, Alabama went to transfer portal and replaced him with the one kicker who beat him for the best kicker award. Not bad.

At punter, Alabama returns James Burnip, the 4th-year Australian punter who made immense strides last season, averaging 47.5 yards per punt with a long of 67. Burnip was a weapon for the Crimson Tide in games where the offense was inconsistent, and entering his senior year he'll likely be put on the Ray Guy Award watchlist after a second team All-SEC season last year.

The final specialist position is long snapper, where Alabama returns multi-year starter Kneeland Hibbett, who was named to the watchlist for the Mannelly Award this week, given to the best long snapper in the country.

Between reigning Groza Award winner Nicholson and returning starters Burnip and Hibbett, all three of Alabama's specialists have a chance to be serious contenders for their positional awards by season's end.

Projected Depth Chart

Kicker - Graham Nicholson (Sr.) / Conor Talty (R-Fr.)
Punter - James Burnip (Sr.) / Nick Serpa (Jr.)
Long Snapper - Kneeland Hibbett (Sr.) / Kade Wheby (Sr.)

2024 Alabama Specialists

Kicker

Graham Nicholson | Sr. | 6-0 | 185

Nicholson won the Lou Groza Award last season for the best placekicker in college football while playing in the MAC at Miami (OH). He entered the transfer portal once the season ended, and landed in Tuscaloosa to replace college football's all-time leading scorer in Will Reichard. He's made 60-of-71 career field goals with a long of 52.

Conor Talty | R-Fr. | 6-1 | 195

Talty is entering his second year in the Alabama program after redshirting as a freshman last season. He served as the backup kicker, appearing in three games and making one PAT. He was ranked as the No. 2 kicker in the 2023 recruiting class.

Punter

James Burnip | Sr. | 6-6 | 220

Made the jump to a second team All-SEC performer as a junior last season, averaging over 47 yards per punt with a long of 67 over the course of the season. He's one of the best returning punters in the country, and will have a shot at the Ray Guy Award if he continues his stellar performance.

Nick Serpa | Jr. | 6-4 | 215

Serpa, a walk-on, will serve as the backup punter to Burnip and is also the most experienced punter on the roster besides Burnip, being a junior. However, he's never seen game action, nor has any other walk-on punter.

Long Snapper

Kneeland Hibbett | Sr. | 6-2 | 245

Hibbett enters his senior year coming off a first team All-SEC season, and is undoubtedly one of the top returning long snappers in the nation. He's already been named to the Mannelly Award watchlist, and has a great chance to be named a finalist or win it if he continues his stellar play.