Which Alabama football newcomer will have greatest impact? The answer might be surprising
The 2024 Alabama football roster has no shortage of newcomers in the running for "most impactful" this season.
Such is the nature of a coaching change in the transfer portal, NIL era. Some transfers joined from Washington, some from other schools. Alabama could still add one more player, but it has already brought in 14 transfers, some of who committed before Nick Saban retired and some who committed afterward. Plus, Alabama had a solid recruiting class.
As the roster nears completion, it's a fair time to start asking this question: Which transfer or signee will have the greatest impact in 2024? Whose success, or lack thereof, could alter the season most?
A signature recruit such as a Ryan Williams would be an easy choice. So, too, would one of the top transfer portal additions on offense or defense such as USC cornerback Domani Jackson, Washington receiver Germie Bernard or Michigan defensive back Keon Sabb. Maybe offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor could be listed as a high-impact "transfer."
For the purpose of this exercise, let's not select any of the above, though. Graham Nicholson is the pick.
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The former Miami (Ohio) kicker is the best prediction for the most impactful newcomer for Alabama in 2024.
A specialist? Yes a specialist. Seriously.
Alabama will have plenty of new faces in the lineup in 2024, not only because of the transfer portal but also because of the NFL Draft. Having to replace Will Reichard was one of the top challenges.
The now Minnesota Vikings kicker was darn near automatic the past four seasons, and along the way, he became the NCAA's all-time leading point scorer and made Alabama fans forget (mostly) about kicking woes. He was a Lou Groza award finalist. He was the SEC special teams player of the year in 2023, too. And in his last collegiate act, he made two 50-plus-yard field goals in the Rose Bowl. It was a day when Alabama needed every point it could get against Michigan's dominant defense, and Reichard was reliable until the very end.
That's not easily replicated. Alabama saw that this spring. As a result, the Crimson Tide went out and got the one kicker who beat out Reichard for the Groza award.
Obviously, Nicholson won't be on the field near as much as a Sabb or a Jackson or a Proctor. But when Nicholson is on the field, chances are his foot will have a colossal impact on the outcome of the game. Especially if it's a close contest late at Bryant-Denny Stadium against Georgia in September, or on the road in Death Valley in November. In those moments, if Nicholson needs to make a field goal, specifically to win the Crimson Tide the game in the final seconds, he will instantly become the most important and impactful player on the roster, newcomers and returners included.
He could be the most impactful addition in a positive way if he replicates his Groza-award winning season from 2023. Or, if he has an off year, Nicholson could have the greatest effect of any newcomer in a negative way.
Either way, Nicholson has a chance to leave his mark in 2024. There might be moments where Bernard could catch a game-winning touchdown, or Sabb could make a game-saving tackle. And so on and so forth. Many of the newcomers can be, and will be, impactful. But the chances of a game coming down to Nicholson's foot at least once, if not twice, thrice or more, are pretty good. It doesn't get much more impactful than that.
Nick Kelly is the Alabama beat writer for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network, and he covers Alabama football and men's basketball. Reach him at nkelly@gannett.com or follow him @_NickKelly on X, the social media app formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Alabama football roster: The newcomer to watch in 2024
