Alabama’s kicking job is still up for grabs, and Kalen DeBoer isn’t ready to tip his hand.
After the Crimson Tide’s second preseason camp scrimmage on Thursday, DeBoer said the battle between incumbent Conor Talty and transfer Lorcan Quinn remains tight. Talty has the inside track by default after handling the role in the program, but Alabama brought in Quinn after Talty had an uneven season last year.
“I think both of them,I think are very, very talented,” DeBoer said. “And I think Conor’s really built a lot of momentum through the offseason, especially since the summer.
Lorcan, you can see what he’s got as far as leg strength, you know, whether it’s field goals, kickoffs, and just maturity. And so he responds and battles back.”
Quinn arrived with a different kind of résumé. He spent his first season of American football last year at Marshall and quickly emerged as one of the top kickers in the transfer portal. Before that, the native of Northern Ireland was playing Gaelic rules football.
Talty, meanwhile, has been with Alabama since 2023. He spent one season behind Will Reichard and another with Graham Nicholson starting for the Crimson Tide.
Last season brought some rough patches, including trouble on short kicks at times. After one miss, he yelled at his long snapper while leaving the field, and Alabama fans booed him the following game.
DeBoer has said throughout the offseason that Talty’s response has stood out, and on Thursday he made clear that reaction matters in this race.
“There is going to be adversity; you are not going to be perfect as a kicker,” DeBoer said. “So a lot of it is like, what does it look like the next kick?
You know, what’s your response going to be? And so it’s a strong competition right now.
I mean, it’s a battle.”
Alabama will be back on the practice field Sunday. The Crimson Tide opens the 2026 season on Sept. 5 against East Carolina at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
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