Upon watching freshman Will Reichard display his talents in kicking and punting throughout spring practice, who had Joseph Bulovas still penciled in as the starter for this season?
Not a lot.
Many fans of the Crimson Tide have the three-star from Hoover (Ala.) High School as the week one starter versus Duke in Atlanta, Ga. Reichard had a prolific high school career that included 27 of 31 made field goals, all 109 of his point after touchdown tries made, and executing touchbacks on 186 of 188 kickoffs. He told Justin Smith, recruiting analyst for Touchdown Alabama Magazine, that he is the one to “fix all kicking woes” at Alabama before arriving.
RELATED: Patriots’ RB Damien Harris created attention at mandatory minicamp
As elite as Reichard is, Bulovas still has something to prove.
The Louisiana native enrolled in the University of Alabama’s 2017 class as a three-star and one of the top kicking prospects in the nation.
Despite him contributing to the nine missed PAT’s from the Tide in 2018, his 75 made attempts (81 tries) was a single-season school record.
Bulovas also tied for seventh in program history in field goal percentage for a single-season, making 14 of 18 kicks – 77.8 percent.
With the exceptions of Jeremy Shelley (2012) and Leigh Tiffin (2009), Bulovas’ mark is the third-highest percentage of made kicks under Nick Saban.
Even during his struggles, he earned Special Teams Player of the Week honors from the coaching staff in four games (Arkansas State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Missouri) last year.
The 6-foot, 203-pound sophomore feels the pressure Reichard’s putting on him; however, this will force the kicking game to be a strength.
Alabama wants to dominate college football and in order for it to do so, all three phases must be sharp.
An opportunity is still in place for Bulovas, but he must improve his confidence and his consistency as fall camp will be approaching soon.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
