Alabama head coach reacts to claims that the program “stole” a kicker from a MAC school.
In response to the recent charge made by Miami (Ohio) head coach Chuck Martin that the Crimson Tide “illegally recruited” and “stole” kicker Graham Nicholson earlier this year, Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said during his press conference on Thursday that the school “did everything that we were supposed to.”
“I don’t know anything about that, I guess, that comment,” DeBoer replied. “We contacted (Nicholson) once he entered the gateway. That’s the way it works, then? We fulfilled our obligations to the fullest.”
In an interview with MiamiRedHawks.com on Wednesday, Martin first made his charges. He was discussing how his team’s former kicker ended up playing for Alabama in the SEC for the 2024 season.
Martin remarked, “Nicholson is at Alabama; we didn’t lose.” “We are well aware of his location. Once more, you folks in the media, it’s all a lie. Alabama took our kicker, like, really? It is a fact that they unlawfully enlisted our kicker and took him from us.”
Nicholson, who was named the best kicker in college football last season and won the Lou Groza award, signed up for the transfer portal in April. A few days later, he made the Crimson Tide his official team.
Nicholson made 27 of his 28 field goals attempts in 14 games with the RedHawks during the previous season, and his 96.4 field goal % placed him top among FBS kickers with at least 20 field goals attempted in 2023.
Remarkably, he won the Lou Groza Award last season over Will Reichard, the former kicker for Alabama. Nicholson is now aiming to emulate Reichard and establish himself as one of the finest kickers in school history for the Crimson Tide.
