The Alabama Crimson Tide addressed its special teams needs on Friday by signing North Alabama transfer Adam Watford, an accomplished punter from within the state. Watford transfers to Tuscaloosa from North Alabama, where he was the Lions' primary punter for three seasons after playing high school football at Dothan High School.
Watford replaces Blake Doud, who exhausted his final year of eligibility with Alabama in 2025 after transferring from the Colorado School of Mines. Doud handled 52 punts during this past season, averaging 42.3 yards per attempt, a figure that sat below the SEC average of 44.6 yards per punt.
Watford made punting look effortless in 2025, putting together one of the most productive campaigns in FCS football. He punted 66 times for 3,073 yards, averaging 46.6 yards per punt across 12 games. His season included a career-long 74-yard punt, 18 placements inside the 20-yard line, and eight touchbacks. He also set an FCS single-season record with 17 punts traveling more than 50 yards, earning United Athletic Conference Co-Specialist of the Year honors for his performance.
Watford isn’t just a one-season wonder — he’s been consistently productive. Over three years at North Alabama, he averaged 43.6 yards per punt on 169 attempts, including 42 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, 36 traveling more than 50 yards, and three exceeding 70 yards during the 2025 season alone. He also forced 50 fair catches across his career.
As a freshman in 2023, Watford punted 57 times for 2,411 yards, averaging 42.3 yards per kick, ranking 22nd nationally and second among all freshmen in average while leading all freshmen in total punt yardage. That season earned him multiple honors, including FCS Football Central Freshman All-American and Phil Steele Third Team Freshman All-American recognition. In 2024, Watford recorded 46 punts for 1,877 yards and a 40.8-yard average, with nine punts inside the 20 and only three touchbacks.
Watford arrives with one season of eligibility remaining and joins a punter room that includes redshirt freshman Alex Asparuhov, who sat out last season after an injury during his senior year of high school, as well as walk-on Anderson Green.
Evaluated as a five-star punter by Kohl’s Kicking Camps and special teams analyst Chris Kohl, Watford becomes another transfer addition for the Crimson Tide as the January portal window, which opened Jan. 2, approaches its Jan. 16 close.
