Alabama football needs special teams to step up in 2020.
In close games, every moment can have a major impact. Although Alabama football rarely finds themselves in nail-biting games, they will need special teams to win them in 2020. The bad news for the Crimson Tide is that they almost always struggle in this aspect.
Alabama hasn’t had an elite kicker for the entire Saban era. They settle for having a kicker who can nail extra points and can make at least most of their field goals. Their last great punter was JK Scott, and they haven’t had a good punter since.
The good news is that they are always great in the return game. Javier Arenas, Eddie Jackson, Cyrus Jones and Jaylen Waddle have all been key players in punt returns over the years. Waddle scored on punt returns in 2019, and he hopes to do the same this year.
With all of this in mind, let’s make some bold predictions for Alabama’s special teams. We’ve already had bold predictions for offense and defense, so let’s wrap up before football officially kicks off.
Will Reichard will break the kicking curse
This won’t be believed one way or the other until multiple games have been played. Alabama football fans have severe trust issues in the kicking department. However, Will Reichard is believed to be the savior at kicker. He has fully recovered from his freshman injuries, and he appears to be a full send for the upcoming college football season. The aforementioned injuries stunted his development as a true freshman, but expect big things from Reichard in 2020. Alabama has a kicking curse, but Reichard is ready to break it.