Ranking Alabama football strongest position groups ahead of 2026 season: Special Teams

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It has been years since special teams were special for Alabama football.

The Crimson Tide moved on from Blake Doud (punter), but Conor Talty (kicker) remains with the program as a former three-star in the 2023 signing class. Jaylen Waddle was the last electric return specialist for Alabama, despite the Tide having Jameson Williams for a season in 2021.

A missed field goal led to a loss versus Oklahoma during the regular season last year, and no explosiveness in the return game was difficult to watch. Alabama added two specialists from the NCAA transfer portal – Lorcan Quinn and Adam Watford – to bolster its kicking game, while it continues to find a marquee return man. How good can the Tide be on special teams this season?

We rank the position group below ahead of the upcoming fall.

-Positional Ranking: [7]

-Strengths: Experience, accurate leg drive, consistency, flipping field position

-Weaknesses: Lack of explosive return specialist, uncertainty of kicking success at Alabama

-Analysis:

Alabama won national championships under Nick Saban and others when specialists were consistently good.

The kicking game was not up to pair in 2025, but things are different now.

Lorcan Quinn, a transfer placekicker from Marshall, comes to Tuscaloosa (Ala.) with arguably one of the most accurate legs in the nation. He was a weapon for the Thundering Herd, becoming the first player to make 20-plus field goals in a year. Quinn made first-team All-Sun Belt Conference in 2025, following a season where he made 21-of-26 field goals.

He made a 55-yarder – which was his season-long – and set a school record with four made attempts of 50 yards or more. Quinn is competing against Conor Talty for the starting role, but Alabama fans are interested to see Quinn take the job.

Adam Watford, a transfer from North Alabama, is expected to start at punter.

Tide fans would love a return of JK Scott or James Burnip in the form of Watford.

Watford made the United Athletic Conference’s Co-Specialist of the Year in 2025, averaging 46.5 yards per punt. He had a career long of 74 yards and set the FCS single-season record with 17 punts traveling 50 or more yards. Watford was one of the top kicking/punting prospects out of high school.

Alabama has several guys that could serve as return specialists, including Ryan Coleman-Williams and Lotzier Brooks, but we will see who wins the role.

Alabama supporters need to see special teams as a strength in the fall.

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Stephen M. Smith is a team writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine.  You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.