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The Tuscaloosa News
Alabama football's Kneeland Hibbett placed on scholarship under Kalen DeBoer
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Alabama football's Kneeland Hibbett placed on scholarship under Kalen DeBoer
Many changes are coming to Alabama football under new head coach Kalen DeBoer.
One of the newest changes under DeBoer is that of long snapper Kneeland Hibbett , with DeBoer recently awarding the former walk-on with a scholarship. The Florence, Alabama native joined the Crimson Tide as a walk-on in 2021, being put on scholarship earlier this month during the team's preseason camp.
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"Man, it's awesome," Hibbett said on Tuesday following practice. "Coach DeBoer came in and he's been taking care of a lot of the guys from different standpoints of everything we do. Getting a scholarship was a big blessing, but he's been a great coach — so I'm excited to go into this year with him."
Not long after DeBoer told Hibbett of the news, the senior got to tell his teammates during 'senior Tide talk,' with many of them not realizing he was not already on scholarship.
"It was cool hearing that," defensive back Malachi Moore said. "That was my first time being apart of something like that here at Alabama, a walk-on being put a scholarship. For me, I thought Kneeland was already on scholarship, so I was like Oh, forreal?' I'm glad for him and that's very great for him."
Another change Hibbett will be making this year is transitioning from free release to now snapping and blocking. The change, he said, was difficult to learn, having to change a few things in order to get an efficient snap and block, but he is feeling confident heading into Saturday.
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"My entire college career I've been free release, which means when I snap I release down the field," Hibbett said. "When DeBoer came in I just made that big point of something I wanted ... That's something I've been working on for many months, and I finally got it down."
Alabama is expected to have one of the top special teams units in the country, consisting of Hibbett, punter James Burnip and kicker Graham Nicholson , the reigning Lou Groza Award winner who transferred to the Crimson Tide from Miami ( Ohio ) earlier this year. All three have been named to preseason award watch lists, including the Ray Guy Award Watch List (Burnip), the Lou Groza Award Watch List (Nicholson) and the Mannelly Award Watch List (Hibbett)
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"I think it's going to be really special what we do on the field this year," James Burnip said on Tuesday. "I don't think any other team will be able to replicate what we do for many, many years."
Alabama opens its 2024 season at home on Saturday, hosting Western Kentucky. Kickoff is slated for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be aired on ESPN.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Kneeland Hibbett: Alabama football long snapper awarded scholarship
