Alabama Crimson Tide's Newest Secret Weapon Was Discovered Through An NFL Ticket Contest
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Alabama Crimson Tide coaches keep hunting edges. This one came from Ireland. Sophomore kicker Lorcan Quinn never played American football until 2025. Now Jay Nunez talks like he landed a veteran.
Quinn is 25. He is from Donaghmore. He played Gaelic football. He also laid fiber-optic cable. He poured concrete. Then he entered a kicking contest for NFL tickets. He finished second the first time he tried a field goal.
Instructor Tadhg Leader watched him drill kicks past 55 yards. Leader told him to chase the sport. Marshall gave him a roster spot. One season later, Alabama Crimson Tide staff put him atop the portal list.
Alabama Crimson Tide Landed a Record Leg From Marshall
Quinn went 21-of-26 as a freshman. He became Marshall's first kicker with 20-plus makes in a season. He hit 4-of-6 from 50-plus. He nailed a 55-yarder, second-longest in school history. First-team All-Sun Belt followed. He scored 101 points.
Kickoffs convinced the Tide to go for this man. Quinn posted 61 touchbacks. He averaged 64.8 yards per kickoff. That ranked third nationally.
Nunez wanted range beyond 50. He already knew the name.
"We saw the growth he had during the season for a young player," Nunez told Yea Alabama. "He was just really talented with extreme ball strength. He's a 90-percent touchback guy and a natural ball striker. He's a guy who doesn't have a lot of bad habits. He's like a veteran guy that you can help along the way, but with a mature mentality. We were really lucky to get him."
That maturity is the pitch. Most kickers need years to look settled. Quinn arrived looking settled.
Alabama Crimson Tide May Not Pick Just One Kicker
Nunez keeps circling Quinn's face. Trainers called him stoic. The coach sees the same thing in Tuscaloosa.
"He's been a steady hitter," Nunez said. "Bad things can happen-bad snaps, false starts, etc. He's just cool, calm and collected. I've seen him smile twice in probably eight months. I've never seen him get mad or flustered. It's kind of like his superpower."
He added the life piece.
"He's seen the other side of life. He's super mature-always taking ownership."
The job is not locked. Returning starter Conor Talty is fighting. Talty drilled a 60-yarder this week. Kalen DeBoer called the race extremely competitive after both hit 58-yarders in a two-minute period. East Carolina is nine days out.
Nunez may split duties. Long seasons wear kickers down. Two reliable legs are a luxury. Talty has game tape. Quinn has the boom and the kickoff hammer.
Alabama Crimson Tide football still has bigger roster questions. DeBoer left other holes after last cycle. Special teams can steal a Saturday anyway.
Quinn went from concrete to Bryant-Denny in two years. If Alabama Crimson Tide needs 55 yards in September, that path may matter.
The post Alabama Crimson Tide's Newest Secret Weapon Was Discovered Through An NFL Ticket Contest originally published on Total Pro Sports.
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