Will Reichard Named to Lou Groza Watchlist
Junior placekicker for the Crimson Tide, Will Reichard, was named to the Lou Groza Award watchlist, joining 29 other kickers on the prestigious list. In 2020, Reichard's sophomore season, he was perfect on his kicks, going 14-of-14 on field goals and 84-of-84 on extra points, earning his spot on this list.
A member of the preseason All-SEC second team, the Hoover, Al., native is a breath of a fresh air for a Crimson Tide program that has been starved for good kickers since the days of Leigh Tiffin. After years of mediocrity from the position, Alabama finally has one of the best in the nation, and this season will continue to show that.
Although Reichard was not forced to take many long range, game-defining field goals last season, unlike his All-SEC First team counterpart, Cade York, who was 6-of-7 on field goals over 50 yards last year, he performed perfectly in the situations he was given and definitely deserves a spot on this list.
Reichard finished 2020 as a finalist for the Groza award, but eventually lost out to Jose Borregales of Miami who finished the season perfect on extra points and 20-of-22 on field goals. While that stat line doesn't seem much more impressive than that of Reichard, Borregales had over 70% of his kickoffs go for touchbacks in 2020, further strengthening his resume.
Alabama kicks off their 2021 season in just 38 days against the Miami Hurricanes at Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta, and will be looking to prove themselves in their first matchup of the season. Another solid year for Reichard seems to be in the works despite a tough spring outing where he missed three kicks from over 48 yards. If he can hone in his deep kicks this season, and have more chances to take them, Reichard will be a shoo-in for the first Crimson Tide kicker to take home the award.