18 for 18: Who will return punts for Alabama?
Alabama is set to take part in SEC Media Days on July 18, marking the unofficial start to the Crimson Tide’s 2018 season. Before head coach Nick Saban or any of the Alabama players take the podium at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, BamaInsider.com will pass the time counting down 18 important questions as the Crimson Tide looks to repeat as champions and claim an 18th national title this season.
Who will return punts for Alabama?
Following a frenetic finish to the season, it’s easy to forget Alabama’s midseason crisis on special teams last year. While most of the concern this offseason has been centered around the kicker and punter positions where the Crimson Tide will need to replace starters Andy Pappanastos and JK Scott, Alabama’s woes in the return game have flown under the radar.
Alabama’s struggles reached their peak during a two-week period in October as Trevon Diggs and Henry Ruggs III combined to muff three punts against Arkansas while Xavian Marks mishandled a punt and fumbled another the following game against Tennessee.
Even when the Crimson Tide managed to catch the ball cleanly it failed to do much with it. Spoiled in recent years greats Eddie Jackson and Cyrus Jones, Alabama fans have grown accustomed to electrifying plays in the return game. Before suffering a season-ending injury in 2016, Jackson led the nation with 23 yards per return including two trips to the end zone. The year before that, Jones returned a nation-high four punts for touchdowns. Last year, the Crimson Tide didn’t score off a single punt as Diggs led the team with a modest 8.56 yards per return.
Not a subscriber?
Subscribe and get 30 days FREE (Use Code RollTide)
New Users: Go to to our SIGN-UP PAGE and enter the special coupon code: RollTideAlready registered: Use this sign-up page and enter the coupon code: RollTide
Any questions, just email us at Kyle@BamaInsider.com.
Premium Message Boards
Talk with thousands of Alabama fans inside the Talk of Champions Forum