Alabama's Kalen DeBoer Denies Tampering Allegations Around Graham Nicholson's Transfer

The 2023 Lou Groza Award winner transferred to Tuscaloosa this past offseason to replace Will Reichard.

Graham Nicholson / Alabama Athletics

The Alabama football program saw one of its most decorated players depart the program this past spring as Will Reichard was selected in the sixth round of the NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Reichard manned the Crimson Tide place-kicking duties for the last five seasons, going on to win the 2020 national title and become the NCAA's all-time leading points scorer in the process.

The Crimson Tide endured a number of kicking calamities in the Nick Saban-era, making Reichard's steady presence all the more comforting for the Alabama fan base which had grown to fear the term "field goal".

Alabama could have allowed redshirt freshman Conor Talty to take over the kicking duties in Reichard's absence, but instead opted to utilize the transfer portal and add the 2023 Lou Groza Award winner in Graham Nicholson by way of Miami (OH).

Miami of Ohio coach Chuck Martin didn't mince words when speaking to the Action Network on Thursday when he accused the Crimson Tide of tampering with Nicholson to convince him to transfer.

"We didn't lose him. He's at Alabama. We know exactly where he's at. You media people, it's all pretend - No, Alabama stole our kicker," said Martin. "They illegally recruited our kicker and stole him from us. That's a fact, but that's, we act like its, we live in this LaLa world - like, 'hey let's not talk reality'. I don't know why everybody knows what's going on. Yeah, Alabama stole our kicker and a couple of other schools tried to steal him."

Nicholoson won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best place kicker last season after making 27 of his 28 field goal attempts and converting 35 of his 37 extra points. Over three years at Miami (OH) he made 60 of his 71 field goal attempts and 97 of 104 extra points.

Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer denied any wrongdoing when asked about the accusation after practice on Thursday.

"I don't know anything about that, I guess, that comment. Yeah, he entered the portal and we reached out to him. So that's how it goes right? We did everything that we're supposed to," said DeBoer.