TideSports 2016 preview: Special teams
Returning starters: Adam Griffith, JK Scott, Cole Mazza
Starters lost: punt returner Cyrus Jones, kick returner Kenyan Drake
Top candidates: Kicker Adam Griffith is back for his senior season and made significant improvement between his sophomore and junior years. Punter JK Scott returned to earth in 2015 by averaging 44.2 yards per punt after leading the nation with a 48-yard average in 2014, but remains one of the country’s better specialists. Long snapper Cole Mazza is a three-year starter entering his final year with the Crimson Tide. Damien Harris got some work at kick returner last year and could be a candidate for that job again this year.
Newcomer to watch: Freshman Trevon Diggs figures to find his way on the field one way or another, possibly as a return specialist. He arrived on campus as a wide receiver but has also spent time working with the safeties to help bolster depth there. He's quick-footed on his cuts but uses a long stride when he reaches top speed to make sure he won't be caught.
You need to know: Griffith’s rough start to the season, where he missed all four field goal attempts in the first two games, hampered his overall average. He was 23-of-28 on field goal attempts the rest of the season. Of those five misses, one was blocked and two more were attempts of 40 yards or greater.
Outlook: Griffith draws the ire of fans every time he misses a kick, but he ranked in the middle of the conference in field goal percentage last year and was one of the more reliable players on kickoffs, with only one going out of bounds all season. Scott should be steady at the least, and has the potential to be one of the nation’s best. There’s enough talent around the skill positions to believe Alabama can sort out its return specialists. Special teams should be a reliable group once again this season.
Key stat: Cole Mazza is perfect on 418 snaps for his career, delivering the ball on 161 punts, 185 extra points and 72 field goals without incident.
Quotable: “Fall camp is really about managing the number of kicks, because we’re going to be kicking every single day, so it’s about managing your number of kicks and not over-kicking. It’s really big on trying to recover when you’re not practicing or stuff.” – Scott, on his approach to staying fresh in the preseason.