Alabama football’s special teams unit is looking to bounce back after a subpar 2025 campaign. Led by second-year special teams coordinator Jay Nunez, the group finished the season ranked 107th out of 136 FBS teams, according to Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings.
As a result, head coach Kalen DeBoer and the staff addressed special teams heavily in the transfer portal, bringing in potential starters at the long snapper, punter and place-kicker positions. As the Crimson Tide approaches the end of spring practice, storylines at each specialist position are beginning to materialize.
Long snapper
After just one season with Alabama, starting long snapper David Bird entered the transfer portal, where he eventually committed to play for California.
Alabama quickly found a replacement in redshirt senior Ethan Stangle. The Maryland native spent his first four seasons at Syracuse and appeared in all 12 games as the Orange’s long snapper for punts this past year.
Stangle is expected to start next season in a similar role. It is also possible that fifth-year senior Alex Rozier, who split time with Bird last season, will see playing time in point-after-touchdown and field-goal situations.
Punter
Last season, Alabama’s punt team had its share of struggles. Redshirt senior Blake Doud, a Division II transfer from the Colorado School of Mines, averaged a pedestrian 42.3 yards per punt on the season. Additionally, the Crimson Tide struggled in punt coverage, finishing just 93rd in punt return defense and 80th in net punting.
Doud’s departure was addressed in the transfer portal by the addition of Adam Watford, a senior from North Alabama. The Dothan native earned second-team All-American honors in 2025 after averaging an impressive 46.6 yards per punt. Watford also downed 18 punts inside the 20-yard line and set FCS records for single-season and career punts of 50 yards or longer.
Since Watford will not have to adjust to punting in lower altitudes like Doud did after transferring from Colorado, his punting distances are more likely to translate despite the increase in competition level.
Alabama also adds quality depth to the punter position by returning redshirt freshman Alex Asparuhov. Out of high school, the Fresno, California, native was rated as the No. 2 punter in the nation according to 247Sports. He is likely to play second-string to Watford next season as he works back from a season-ending injury he suffered last Fall.
Punt Returner
Since wide receiver Cole Adams transferred to Vanderbilt this offseason, Alabama is searching for a dependable option to return punts.
Only two other players currently on the roster, wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams and cornerback Dijon Lee, returned a punt last season. Alabama has opted for a by-committee approach during spring practice as it narrows down the most reliable candidate. To this point, Coleman-Williams, Lee and wide receiver Lotzier Brooks have received the most punt return reps.
The competition will remain one to watch throughout the offseason and may not be resolved until each player has gotten opportunities in a live game.
Place-kicker
Starting place-kicker Conor Talty’s inconsistencies were a major talking point last season. The redshirt sophomore converted on just 16 out of 23 total field goal attempts and was notably booed by the home crowd at Bryant-Denny Stadium after a missed kick against Eastern Illinois.
Talty did not let that experience discourage him, though, as he finished the season making his last five attempts, which included two apiece in close wins against Auburn and Oklahoma. Talty attributed his turnaround to unwavering support from his teammates and coaches.
“I think that was really what kick-started me turning over this leaf and really turning things around for myself and this team. Just guys coming up to me in the locker room at practice, like, ‘We got your back. We’re here for you.’ DeBoer saying he has full belief in me. Coach Nunez saying he has full belief in me,” he said.
Despite Talty’s decision to return for his fourth season, Alabama turned to the transfer portal and added true freshman Lorcan Quinn from Marshall.
After playing five years of Gaelic football in Northern Ireland and earning All-Ireland honors, Quinn chose to play college football at Marshall. In 2025, his freshman season, Quinn earned All-Sun Belt Conference honors. He made 21 out of 26 field goal attempts, made four kicks of 50-plus yards and added 61 touchbacks on 71 total kickoffs.
After the Crimson Tide’s first team scrimmage of spring camp, DeBoer called the position battle between Talty and Quinn an “open competition.”
“I like that competition there,” DeBoer said. “I think we’re going to be good. I know we’re going to be good no matter who it is and whoever wins out, because both of them have a pretty high ceiling.”
