When taking a look at the Alabama Crimson Tide’s roster entering Saturday’s game against the Georgia Bulldogs, there are multiple players who may come to mind that could end up playing key roles during this Week 5 showdown.
Coming on both sides of the ball, the two that you might need to watch for in particular actual come on special teams in the duo of Graham Nicholson and James Burnip.
Nicholson, who transferred from Miami (OH) during the offseason, was the winner of the 2023 Lou Groza Award for the nation’s best kicker, and has so far been Alabama’s starter at the position through three games. Over three games, Nicholson is so far a perfect 19-for-19 on extra point attempts, but has missed his lone field goal attempt from 46 yards out.
Burnip however has been Alabama’s starting punter for four seasons now, and is off to a strong start to the year where he is averaging 46.5 yards per punt across three games.
Against the Bulldogs, Alabama will likely call on both of these players in key situations, whether that is to flip the field position, or make a field goal when needed.
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While time will ultimately tell on just how they perform in those situations, it’s clear that both Nicholson and Burnip will need to have big games for the Crimson Tide on Saturday.