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The Mighty Lorcan Quinn: 'Beyond normal' talent goes from day job in Ireland to kicker at Alabama

AB1by: Andrew Bone01/15/26AndrewJBone

It was in August 2023 when kicking instructor Tadhg Leader discovered what he considers one of, if not his best find to date. Alabama transfer placekicker Lorcan Quinn was playing Gaelic football for a local club team while working as a fiber-optic cable installer in his regular day job. Fast forward less than two years, and he’s on scholarship with the Crimson Tide after an outstanding season at Marshall.

Quinn had never played American football before Marshall took a chance on him late last spring to join its 2025 roster. He entered a kicking event hosted by Coach Leader, having never kicked an American football. It was more of a fun experience than a tryout, an opportunity to win tickets to an NFL game.

“I’ve had guys in the NFL and across top-level colleges, and I’ll never forget Lorcan,” Coach Leader told BOL. “I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is beyond normal.’ It was freakish how he contacted the ball, how it jumped and rotated.

“Then the dude just showed zero emotion. He was kicking 58- to 60-yard field goals and didn’t even know what that meant, 10 minutes into kicking an American football for the first time. It was a pretty freakish introduction. I am by no means surprised by where he is today.”

Gaelic football is the national sport in Ireland. It’s played with a round ball and involves running, jumping, and striking the ball. It shares similarities with rugby. It’s also the same sport played by New Orleans Saints kicker Charlie Smyth, who went straight to the NFL despite having no previous American football experience.

Quinn was “like the quarterback of the team, except he uses his feet to hit moving targets,” his coach said. “But he was also the one who would take the free kick (similar to soccer), hence why he’s able to get such good pop on the ball and accuracy.”

The now 24-year-old surprisingly did not win the competition that day, finishing second, though he was a coach and crowd favorite. It was the first time he had kicked an American football in any meaningful setting.

Coach Leader announced after the event, in front of everyone, that he could guarantee one person had completely changed his life that day, and it was Lorcan.

“I just told him what he’s doing is not normal,” he said. “It’s a highly valuable skill in America. He didn’t have a clue what that meant. He was working full-time, so we tried to build our practices around his schedule. He was doing a tough manual labor job in the morning and then coming to practice with us.”

Quinn trained for the next few months, with his coach recommending a visit to the U.S. alongside other kickers. During the trip, Quinn used TrackMan technology, which measures ball speed, height, launch angle, spin, and trajectory. His numbers were comparable to top NFL kickers. That’s when his coach knew it was time to go all-in.

Quinn left his job and trained full-time for the next three to four months. Coach Leader reached out to dozens of schools, pitching Quinn as a “no-brainer,” but many passed due to his lack of game experience.

“I tried to tell them you cannot coach the level of leg talent,” Leader said. “You’re born with it or you’re not. You can coach operation times. You can coach a jab step. You can coach all those things that come with being on a team. But you cannot teach a dude to hit a ball the way he hits a ball. You have it or you don’t. Thankfully, Marshall got it, and they took him. He obviously set a lot of records last season.”

Transfer Tracker: Alabama Football Portal Headquarters

Alabama was a quick, easy decision

Alabama ST coordinator Jay Nunez
Alabama ST coordinator Jay Nunez (Courtesy of UA Athletics)

Quinn, a native of Donaghmore, Ireland, earned First-Team All–Sun Belt honors in 2025. His sensational season included:

  • 38-of-39 on extra points
  • 21-of-26 on field goals
  • 4-of-6 on field goals of 50+ yards
  • Ranked third in the Sun Belt in scoring (101 points)
  • Broke Marshall’s single-season field goal record (21)
  • Broke Marshall’s career record for 50-yard field goals (4) in one season
  • Hit the second-longest field goal in program history (55 yards vs. Coastal Carolina)
  • Tied Marshall’s single-game record with four field goals (vs. Texas State)

The success led to Quinn becoming one of the most sought-after kickers in the country. Coach Leader said he heard from nearly every top program, including most of the SEC and Big Ten. He connected quickly with Alabama special teams coach Jay Nunez.

“Alabama immediately contacted him,” Leader said. “It’s such a phenomenal brand. I think he really liked the idea of developing under Coach Nunez. He understands representing Alabama is such a massive thing to do. It wasn’t a hard decision when the opportunity came.

“Would he have known about Alabama a year ago? He probably had heard of it, at most. But now he’s very pragmatic. Kicking’s kicking. Am I kicking in front of 2,000 or 200,000? Kicking’s kicking. He’s very excited and grateful, of course, but he has a unique mindset, and I think that’s what’s led him here.”

Quinn will arrive in Tuscaloosa to begin the next chapter of life late Wednesday night-his first time ever in Alabama.

CLICK HERE to view our latest transfer portal intel regarding the Tide’s top targets

More than a leg, but don’t expect much excitement

Coach Leader noted that while everyone around Quinn sees the move to Alabama as exciting, Quinn remains businesslike. “Sometimes we try to draw a bit more emotion out of him, but you don’t always get it,” he said. “That’s just his personality. He’s a great dude. He just goes about his business.”

The first American football game Quinn ever played in was against Georgia in Athens. It was eye-opening. He made his lone extra point in a 45–7 loss, then went 2-of-3 the following week, including a 50-yarder. He missed just one field goal over the final six games of the season.

Quinn missed three field goals during the middle of the season. He worked on establishing a better target lines and improving in-game adjustments.

“A lot of guys have leg talent. He’s right at the top of that tree. But what really stands out is his ability to focus and immerse himself in the process for the 14 seconds he’s on the field,” Leader said. “Whether he’s kicking in Ireland or Alabama, the process is controlled and consistent. He has an ability to lock in like no other.

“I’d say the intensity and level of focus around his work is something I haven’t really come across. We’ve had a lot of high-level guys, including Charlie Smyth. The more you do that, the less external factors matter. You’re not connecting with what’s happening in the stands. His teammates go crazy when he hits a 50-yarder, but he shows zero emotion. I know the Alabama staff likes that mentality. He’s very measured.”

Still room for improvement as Quinn arrives on the big stage

Lorcan Quinn, Marshall
Lorcan Quinn (Courtesy of Marshall Athletics)

Alabama operates on a much larger scale than what Quinn experienced in Huntington, West Virginia. He’ll have time to grow into it, especially with early home games against Florida State and South Carolina, followed by an October 10 matchup in Tuscaloosa against Georgia, the first team he ever faced. A full-circle moment for Quinn next season.

“I think he’s doing really well, but he still has a lot to learn,” Coach Leader said. “Marshall was great, but everything at Alabama is going to be a step up–resources, staff, crowd intensity. We think he can cope and thrive in it. He’s going to a good staff, and we believe they’ll continue to develop and support him.”

“The success he had late in the season gave him confidence. He’s a quick learner, but the biggest adjustment will be the scale of the environment. Marshall might’ve had four athletic trainers. Alabama might have 14. It’s big time.”

“You really can’t compare it to much, except maybe the Premier League with Manchester United. That’s probably the closest thing. He’ll understand how big it is for the community and the Alabama brand nationally. I don’t think it’ll bother him much, but it’s a different level of expectation.”

Alabama may become the most-watched team in Ireland

It’s been a completely unexpected journey, but one Quinn is embracing. Coach Leader is grateful Quinn took part in his event and believes he’ll succeed at Alabama and beyond.

“With any kicker, challenges will come,” he said. “I’m curious how he adapts, but so far, nothing has slowed him down. Everything is a first for him, and he’s navigated it phenomenally.”

“There are three guys I’ve trained who stood out immediately–Lorcan, Charlie (Smyth), and another who just arrived at North Carolina (Adam McCann-Gibbs). None of them truly knew how good they were at the start. They’re very uncommon.”

Coach Leader believes Quinn will carry the full support of the Irish; just note the ones in South Bend, Indiana.

“There’s a whole country supporting him,” he said. “There’s not a tradition of Irish guys playing college football. So he has countrywide support. I can drive from the very west to the very east in two hours. There’s a great sense of Irish pride. We may be a small, but the whole country is behind Lorcan, which is really cool. He’s a great man to represent us as well.

Leader described Ireland as “the most untapped talent resource in the world for American football.”

“You’re going to see a lot more of it because of Lorcan.”

Coach Leader’s Background:

The Galway, Ireland, played professional rugby for 8 years, with his career taking him to the United States, where he played for the San Diego Legion in Major League Rugby before joining the New England Free Jacks (based in Boston). He began kicking a football when COVID hit in 2020, at almost 30. He was kicking one day in Boston when someone noticed and asked who he was kicking for, realizing he might have a way to take advantage of it. He explored a pathway to college, not understanding the challenges, but his journey led him to the CFL, where he made it through training camp but was released due to limited experience and a returning kicker. The experience convinced him that Irish athletes could succeed as kickers if there was a clearer pathway, and for the next three years, his life has largely been dedicated to helping create those opportunities for young lads in his home country.

To keep up with the latest players on the move (nationally), check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.

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