Alabama leader to land Lou Groza award-winning kicker

For five seasons, Alabama kicker Will Reichard was one of the most reliable placekickers in the country.

The NCAA’s all-time career points leader, he made 84 career field goals and 295 PATs. He closed out his Crimson Tide career as the program’s record holder for field goals, 50-plus years field goals and PATs.

Reichard is now off to the NFL, expected to be one of the top kickers in this week’s draft. One of the biggest question marks for first-year head coach Kalen DeBoer at the end of spring practice is kicking duties. Sources tell On3’s Steve Wiltfong and Pete Nakos that Alabama is the current leader to land Lou Groza award-winning kicker Graham Nicholson.

The Miami (Ohio) transfer entered the portal last week. A first-team All-American in 2023, he connected on 27 of his 28 field goal attempts. Nicholson connected on 25 straight field goals during the season, setting a record for consecutive attempts. The first Groza winner in Mid-American Conference history, Nicholson is officially on the market.

The Tide are the clear team to beat, sources tell On3. Ohio State is viewed as the other team in contention for Nicholson. A Cincinnati native, he is 60 of 71 all-time in field goal attempts across his three-year career.

Nicholson beat out Reichard and UNLV’s Jose Pizano for the Groza Award in 2023. His longest field goal of the season was also a career-long, a 52-yarder in a 27-0 win over Bowling Green on Oct. 7. Nicholson’s field goal conversion rate of 96.3 percent was the third-best in college football this past season. 

Alabama was working with specialists Conor Talty and Upton Bellenfant throughout the spring. Both were competing for the starting job despite Talty being the only one to ever have game experience. The Tide already have their punter in James Burnip.

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