Former Alabama kicker Will Reichard became the Crimson Tide’s ninth player to be drafted after the Minnesota Vikings selected the NCAA all-time points leader with the No. 27 pick in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Reichard will reunite with Crimson Tide teammate Dallas Turner, who the Vikings selected with the No. 17 overall pick.

Reichard follows Iowa punter Tory Taylor as the second special teams player off the board and the first former Alabama kicker to be selected since David Ray in 1996. His selection also means legendary Alabama coach Nick Saban has had a player from every position taken in the NFL Draft.

Reichard bucked the narrative of Alabama kickers performing subpar under former coach Nick Saban. Arriving at Alabama in 2019, Reichard immediately won the starting role and spent five seasons in Tuscaloosa. The Hoover, Ala. native converted 84 of 100 field goal attempts and 99.3% of his extra point attempts during his time with the Crimson Tide.

Reichard’s etched his name in Alabama history during the 2023 SEC Championship against Georgia. He converted a 43-yard field goal to open the scoring for Alabama, which saw him surpass former Navy quarterback Keenan Reynolds as the NCAA all-time points leader. Reichard finished his collegiate career with a record-breaking 547 points.

“Reichard kicks with consistent lift,” wrote NFL analyst Lance Zurlien in his scouting report of the five-year Tide starter. “He's as close to automatic as you will find under 40 yards and can make 50-plus yard kicks with a high success rate, but he has average leg strength by the standards of today's NFL. Reichard needs to prove he can plant a higher percentage of kickoffs as touchbacks, but his accuracy and talent should give him a strong chance at being drafted in the middle rounds and becoming a starting NFL kicker.”

Reichard committed to Alabama as part of its 2019 signing class and was a three-star recruit and the second-ranked kicker nationally. Reichard could’ve left earlier than he did, but stayed for a fifth season largely to work on kickoffs. His effort was rewarded with hearing his name called as the second specialist off the board in the NFL Draft.