Many people were surprised when Alabama made the announcement over the weekend that senior Conor Talty had won the Crimson Tide's starting kicker job over Marshall transfer Lorcan Quinn.
Quinn was brought in as competition to Talty, but many expected that he would ultimately win the job over the inconsistent returning Tide kicker. Kalen DeBoer was open and honest with Talty that Alabama would be pursuing another kicker in the portal. Talty could have left. He chose to stay and compete.
It worked out.
Talty has had a tremendous camp and won the job. Quinn didn't lose it. This isn't a position battle decided by the least bad option. Alabama had two good choices, and Talty proved to be the guy.
That might surprise some, but it shouldn't. Talty came to Alabama with a significant pedigree. He was the No. 3-ranked kicker in the 2023 recruiting class. He sat behind Will Reichard, arguably the best kicker in program history, as a freshman. DeBoer and company didn't think he was ready for the job in 2024, which led Alabama to bring in Miami Ohio's Graham Nicholson, the 2023 Lou Groza Award winner.
Talty got the job last year, but struggled with consistency. He hit just 16-of-23 field goals, which included three misses from under 40 yards away. His most consequential miss came in a November home game against Oklahoma, when Talty missed a short kick before halftime of a game Alabama ultimately lost by two. Talty's meltdown on Alabama's long snapper after the missed kick led to him being booed by the home fans the following week.
To Talty's credit, he bounced back. He made his final five kicks of the season, including a perfect 2-of-2 in the Iron Bowl and 2-of-2 again in the College Football Playoff road win over Oklahoma.
He took Quinn's addition in stride and looks like he's ready to be a real weapon for Alabama in 2026.
Kalen DeBoer praises Alabama kicker Conor Talty on SEC Coaches Teleconference
“I think fall camp is really where we’ve seen his growth and how it’s helped him become a better kicker," DeBoer said on Wednesday. "I just think that he’s grown as a person, as well. He’s understanding he isn’t going to be perfect. And we understand he’s human. But he also knows that he has to, with the competition comes having to raise your level in all ways. And he’s done that.
"He’s been super consistent all camp long. Really never any highs and lows. And just super proud of him based on what he’s gone through and the way he really took a step and kind of owned it in the offseason early. And then how it’s kind of transpired into production that is at a super high level here during camp.”
Consistency was the one thing lacking from Talty's game last season. If he's corrected that, then Alabama might have a real weapon at kicker.
He's certainly got the leg. DeBoer and others have noted during fall camp that both Talty and Quinn were making kicks from 55+ yards away.
Like all things, the proof will be on game day. It's all well and good to make kicks in practice when there isn't any pressure, but it all changes when the lights are bright and the cameras are on.
The mental aspect of kicking is just as important as the physical.
Alabama will have a luxury it didn't have last season, though. If Talty struggles, they've got Quinn as a fallback option. He's here to push Talty and ensure that he keeps the right focus to develop into one of the top kickers in the country.
Alabama is betting on him turning that corner.
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