Among SEC specialist groups, Alabama football is in fairly good shape. Kicker Will Reichard, punter James Burnip and long-snapper Kneeland Hibbett are all back, giving the Crimson Tide one less thing to worry about as the 2023 season approaches.

Still, there’s always room for improvement. On Thursday, Burnip explained how he’s trying to better his kicking fundamentals for his junior season.

“I think just really just trying to stay parallel through it,” Burnip said. “Lots of times my freshman year and sometimes my sophomore year, my swing leg would come through and would come across my body. I’m just trying to stay through the ball and get as much push on that football, just coming through it and shortening my steps. Just everything I can do to get the most power with every kick.”

Burnip averaged 42.3 yards per punt last season for the Tide. His long for both the year and his career was a 58-yarder against LSU.

The Australian native said the past few seasons, he has been getting used to the rhythms of American football.

“I’m very comfortable now,” Burnip said. “Yeah, I would say my first year was my first time ever playing football – putting pads on and having a full, live rush. So I was pretty nervous back there, standing there, like, didn’t know what to expect really, still didn’t know how to read the rush or anything. Then coming into this year, I’m a lot more relaxed back there.”

Burnip returns as holder as well, for kicker Will Reichard. Reichard didn’t initially expect to be rejoining the Crimson Tide as a fifth-year graduate student, but changed his mind and opted to return.

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Alabama football’s all-time points leader is one of the best kickers in both the SEC and the nation. Still, he had an area where he wanted to get better for 2023.

“Last year, I think my biggest, not issue, but thing I think I could get better at is my kickoffs,” Reichard said. “As we got later into the year, when it got colder outside, I wasn’t hitting as many touchbacks. I wasn’t hitting the ball as far. My technique wasn’t as good as I wanted it to be. So that’s really something I worked on this offseason.”

Reichard made 22 of his 26 field goal attempts last season, tying his career-long with a 52-yarder against Texas. He had 47 touchbacks on 94 kickoffs.

Burnip and Reichard will continue preseason camp along with their Alabama teammates through Aug. 26. The Crimson Tide opens the season Sept. 2 against Middle Tennessee State.

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