New special teams coach Jeff Banks was a kicker by trade in college, and he is already looking to solidify that area for the 2018 team. After spotting Temple grad transfer Austin Jones at a kicking camp, Banks invited him to Tuscaloosa. As usual, the program sold itself.
Jones injured his knee in 2016 and never fully made it back this season, appearing in four games to start the season before shutting it down. He has made 74.6% of his field goal attempts, including a robust 82% in his sophomore campaign of 2015. He doesn’t have a ton of range with only a couple of attempts over 50 yards and none converted, but he has been very accurate.