One of the more underrated areas Alabama needed to get better this offseason was on special teams. They finished 107th in the country in Special Teams SP+ in 2025. Conor Talty was inconsistent as a field goal kicker, the coverage teams were leaky, and Blake Doud averaged just 42.3 yards per punt, a mark that ranked 15th among qualified punters in the SEC.
The sample size is still small, but Jay Nunez's unit deserves a lot of praise for its start to the season.
Kalen DeBoer brought in competition for Talty, landing Marshall transfer kicker Lorcan Quinn, who was presumed to be the favorite to win the job in the preseason. Talty won the job, and his first three games have shown why.
He's 8-of-8 on field goals this year, and has now made 13 consecutive attempts dating back to last year. He's become automatic for the Crimson Tide and a real weapon for the offense with his ability to consistently make kicks. Talty always had the talent, but the consistency piece wasn't there a year ago. It appears to be now. He's hit all four of his kicks from 40+ yards away and isn't missing the gimmees that plagued him last season.
And as for punting, sophomore Alex Asparuhov was another surprising winner of a job. Alabama brought in North Alabama's Adam Watford out of the Transfer Portal this offseason, but Asparuhov beat him out.
He's only punted five times in three games, but his 48.6 yards per punt average ranks 1st in the SEC and 8th nationally.
Conor Talty and Alex Asparuhov have vastly improved Alabama's kicking game in 2026
The proof of the improvement will come in the next few weeks. Neither has felt a lot of game pressure so far. After his first three punts went for 50+ yards, Asparuhov's last two went for 44 and 41 yards respectively against Florida State.
Talty will likely have some pressure field goals in the coming weeks, but he's no stranger to them. He hit some clutch ones against Auburn in the Iron Bowl and again against Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff.
Special teams often go overlooked by most fans, unless something goes wrong. You tend not to notice the kicker, punter, or snapper unless they make a mistake.
But after a nightmarish season of special teams, Alabama fans are noticing the massive upgrade that has been made through three weeks.
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