The best portal move DeBoer could make is signing Alabama football’s newest kicker, which is why
To put it succinctly, Reichard was rich. Additionally, in what may be the most astute off-season acquisition made by newly appointed Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer in advance of his inaugural campaign, he has discovered some personal wealth.
Graham Nicholson, a kicker from Miami of Ohio, has selected Alabama as his transfer portal destination. He will arrive at UA this autumn, having only one season left of NCAA eligibility. In fact, his lifetime field goal accuracy (60 of 71, 84.5%) is just somewhat better than Reichard’s.
Maybe it should if his name seems familiar.
The last time Reichard’s name was spoken in Alabama Nation, it was accompanied by a few four-letter expletives. UA supporters were shocked, if not incredulous, that Reichard had not taken home the Lou Groza Award as the country’s best kicker. He was defeated by Nicholson, who had previously played for the RedHawks and had made 27 of 28 field goals. Reichard twice made it to the finals for the award, in 2020 and 2023. What does Nicholson’s addition signify, then?
Now let’s return to the subject concerning close games to better grasp that. Nine of the 27 games that retired coach Nick Saban paced the sidelines for throughout his final two seasons were decided by less than a touchdown, accounting for a full one-third of the total. A field goal or less decided six of them. That’s to be anticipated at many institutions, but too many at Alabama, where defeats under Saban were exceptional and unheard of. Last year, Alabama might not have made it to the SEC title game and definitely wouldn’t have made it to the College Football Playoff if just one of those tight games that went Alabama’s way had ended in a loss.
And that’s where a good kicker comes into play. They usually go undetected in big games until they have to split the uprights from 48 yards in the closing seconds of a game that ends in a tie.
In this regard, DeBoer’s inaugural season will not vary from any other: the win-loss column will be the primary criterion for evaluation. And with half of the schedule made up of teams like Wisconsin, Georgia, Tennessee, LSU, Oklahoma, and Auburn, there’s every reason to believe Alabama will again find itself in a number of close games.
if not a last thrust. Getting Nicholson might easily translate into one or more more victories. It might make the difference between making it to the SEC championship game or not, as well as the new 12-team field for the College Football Playoffs. And it’s the only difference that matters, as Alabama supporters discovered during Reichard’s career and in earlier years when UA kickers struggled.