Opportunities haven’t been abundant this season for Alabama football kicker Graham Nicholson. Through seven games, the Miami (Oh.) transfer has tried just four kicks, making two of them.
Nicholson is known for deadly accuracy from closer range. But on Saturday, he attempted a 54-yarder in the Crimson Tide’s loss to Tennessee, and came up well short.
On Monday, UA head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked whether he would consider using Alabama’s other kicker, Conor Talty, who handles kickoffs for the Tide, on long field goals.
“I have a lot of confidence in Conor,” DeBoer said. “I’ve seen Conor in practice continue to really be more consistent than I remember in the spring. And, you know, I think we were right on the edge of what Graham was capable of. I felt that. Did think about just which way the kick, even though there was just a small wind, looking for that little… I knew it would be close.
“You know, you go with your gut on those things and obviously, it came up just short. But felt like he was on point, and felt like he put a good, solid swing on it. And, you know, we got a lot of confidence in both of those guys, to be honest with you.”
Nicholson beat out former Alabama kicker Will Reichard for the Lou Groza Award, which goes to the nation’s top kicker, last season. He transferred to UA during the offseason, after DeBoer wanted more consistency out of the Tide’s kickers.
His transfer to Alabama caused consternation at Miami, where head coach Chuck Martin accused DeBoer and company of tampering.
“We didn’t lose him, he’s at Alabama,” Martin said in August. “We know exactly where he’s at. Again, you media people, it’s all pretend. Like, no, Alabama stole our kicker. They illegally recruited our kicker and stole him from us and that’s a fact. We act like it’s not. We live in this la-la world, like ‘Hey, let’s not talk…’ I don’t know why. Everybody knows what’s going on.”
Talty joined Alabama as a recruit last season. He has kicked off all season for the Crimson Tide in 2024.
Alabama will be back in action Saturday against Missouri. The game is scheduled to kick off at 2:45 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium, and will be aired on ABC.
