As we inch closer to the start of Alabama football’s highly anticipated first season under new head coach Kalen DeBoer, organizations are beginning to create Preseason All-American lists.
The Walter Camp Football Foundation did so on Monday, as four Crimson Tide standouts made the cut among the two teams: offensive lineman Tyler Booker (First Team), placekicker Graham Nicholson (First Team), center Parker Brailsford (Second Team) and punter James Burnip (Second Team).
Alabama trailed Ohio State (5) for the most of any team in the country. Notre Dame also had four players while Georgia and Michigan rounded out the leaderboard with three apiece.
Booker played a pivotal role on the Tide’s offensive line, as he earned First Team All-SEC honors from the Associated Press and was named a Second Team All-SEC selection by the conference coaches. Booker has been very vocal about the arrival of DeBoer and the emergence of his teammates as he’s expected to be widely regarded as a team leader once again.
Before transferring to Alabama from Miami (OH) on April 21, Nicholson won the 2023 Lou Groza Award after making 27 of his 28 field goal attempts and converting on 35 of 37 extra point attempts. He comes to Tuscaloosa to replace veteran kicker Will Reichard and will have one season of eligibility. He is one of 16 players on the 2024 preseason list who also earned 2023 Walter Camp All-America First and Second Team honors.
Brailsford was considered one of the best players in the winter transfer portal window, following DeBoer among several others from Washington after being the starting center on the Huskies’ Joe Moore Award-winning offensive line this past season. He impressed in his first season starting, earning recognition on the All-Pac-12 Second Team and becoming a Shaun Alexander Award semifinalist.
Burnip was named to the All-SEC Second Team by the conference coaches last season as he was ranked second in the conference and fifth nationally with a 47.6 yards per punt average. He boomed 24 punts of 50-plus yards, including five for 60-plus (career-long of 67 yards). He was named a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, presented each year to the nation’s top punter, for his efforts.
Source link : https://www.si.com/college/alabama/football/four-alabama-football-players-named-to-walter-camp-preseason-all-america-teams-01j1qypgyrx5
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Publish date : 2024-07-01 17:59:58
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