Miami (Ohio) head football coach Chuck Martin has expressed frustration with the Alabama Crimson Tide over the loss of his star kicker, Graham Nicholson. In an interview with reporter Jed DeMuesy, a video clip of which was posted online Thursday, Martin discussed the RedHawks’ roster heading into the 2024 season.
Graham Nicholson, who won the Lou Groza Award last year as the best kicker in college football, was a crucial part of the RedHawks’ special teams. Nicholson had an outstanding season, making 26 of 27 field goal attempts (96.3 percent) and going 35 of 36 on extra points (97.2 percent). However, the senior kicker entered the transfer portal during the spring and committed to Alabama in April.
When DeMuesy mentioned that the RedHawks had “lost” their kicker, Martin quickly corrected him, saying, “We didn’t lose him, he’s at Alabama. We know exactly where he’s at … Alabama stole our kicker. They illegally recruited our kicker and stole him from us. That’s a fact.”
Kalen DeBoer's response to Miami-Ohio Chuck Martin, who claimed Alabama "illegally recruited" and "stole" kicker Graham Nicholson pic.twitter.com/YPmtOrWIQV
— Alabama Crimson Tide | AL.com (@aldotcomTide) August 22, 2024
New Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer was asked about Martin’s claim and responded by feigning innocence, asserting that Alabama had simply reached out to a player who had already entered the transfer portal. However, Martin’s stern remarks indicate a deep frustration with how the situation unfolded, reflecting the ongoing tensions around player movement in the transfer portal era.