'Alabama Illegally Recruited Our Kicker and Stole Him From Us': Miami OH Coach Chuck Martin Holds Grudges and Does Not Mince Words

Graham Nicholson, the 2023 Lou Groza Award winner, left Miami University (OH) this spring to play football at Alabama, something every single sane person on the planet would do if given the opportunity. But as you'd expect, Redhawks coach Chuck Martin isn't exactly thrilled about it.

I totally understand why Martin is upset about the situation, but saying Alabama "illegally recruited" Nicholson is a hell of a charge. And I'm sure they probably did, honestly. You just don't often hear a coach come out and accuse another school of that.

That's just the game now, though. If a player from a Group of Five school is the best in the country at his position, he's going to enter the transfer portal and have a massive bidding war for his services going forward. And yeah, that sucks for schools like Miami of Ohio, but it is what it is.

Nicholson actually entered the transfer portal twice this offseason, first in December before initially staying at Miami and then again in April when he left for Tuscaloosa. I assume Coach Martin is saying the second trip to the portal was made with a one-way ticket to Alabama already signed, sealed and delivered.

While it sucks to get your kicker stolen, this clip is probably some pretty good recruiting material for Chuck Martin if you want to go play for a no nonsense kind of guy. Just don't enter the portal and expect him to talk nice about you afterwards.