Kalen DeBoer names players who will return kicks, punts this season
By Jacob Moss
Published:
The Alabama Crimson Tide are gearing up for their Week 1 matchup against East Carolina this Saturday, and head coach Kalen DeBoer is penciling in his final roster decisions before the start of his third season at the helm in Tuscaloosa.
Many starting roles have already been worked out over the summer and into fall camp, but a few key decisions were still up in the air heading into Wednesday’s practice.
One of these decisions involved who the Tide’s main kickoff and punt returners would be heading into the season, and Alabama insider Mike Rodak reported Wednesday that DeBoer named several players when asked who would take on these all-important roles.
Per Rodak, DeBoer said that star junior wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams will split the kick and punt return duties with freshman running back Trae’Shawn Brown, sophomore DB Dijon Lee, and fellow junior wideout Rico Scott.
The primary kick returner from 2025 for the Tide, Lotzier Brooks, is currently dealing with injuries, while last season’s primary punt returner, Cole Adams, transferred to Vanderbilt in the offseason.
Coleman-Williams and Lee both have experience returning punts, with the former leading the Tide in that department as a freshman in 2024, while Rico Scott returned a handful of kickoffs in 2025.
