The opportunity is rare so Jaylen Waddle was ready.

Alabama had just forced New Mexico State into a three-and-out on its first possession when punter Peyton Theisler made his first mistake. A towering boot launched right at the Crimson Tide’s dynamic returner was just what Waddle had wanted.

Specialists, for the most part, avoided giving the Houston product that satisfaction on all but 16 of the 93 punts Tide opponents had last season. Waiting for the punt Saturday at his own 22, Waddle broke from a backpedal and quickly darted to his left and juke the first failed tackler. Just one more cut and it almost looked like a casual 78-yard run for Waddle who was practically untouched into the end zone.

On the sideline, teammates shook their head at a sight familiar in practice for the shifty young receiver. Nick Saban did the same for another reason -- the block in the back flag thrown on Josh Jobe that made the whole thing just extra exercise.

It was the second time a Waddle punt return touchdown was called back after a penalty negated other in his collegiate debut against Louisville last September.

“Every time he touches the ball, I hold my breath because he’s just an explosive receiver, explosive punt returner,” Alabama’s All-American receiver Jerry Jeudy said. “So no matter what he’s going to always make plays, find a way to make plays because that’s the kind of player he is.”

Among the fastest players on Alabama’s roster, he’s challenged Henry Ruggs III for the speed crown in the locker room.

The 142 receiving yards through two games rank second on the team behind Jeudy’s 240 thanks to his open-field wizardry. It’s an asset both in the passing games and when punters mess up and kick in his direction.

“I actually talk him a lot,” Alabama safety Xavier McKinney said. “I’ll kind of make fun of him a little bit because I just don’t think he catches enough of them and returns a lot of them, but when he gets the ball in his hands, he definitely makes plays.”

Waddle’s explosiveness creates a dilemma with punters trying different things to keep the ball out of his hands.

“We get a lot of alternative kicks,” Saban said, “which takes great judgment on his part as to when do I field the ball, when do I not field the ball? When I do I stick it in the middle when it’s a middle return and when do I try to get outside. He’s always done a pretty good job of that.”

Theisler went to rugby punts on a busy day of eight attempts and at least one bounced further without a catch than Saban wanted. Waddle still broke a 23-yard, field-reversing return later in the game.

The sophomore is also showing a little more of his physical side in Year 2. A second-quarter catch against Duke saw the 5-foot-10, 182-pound receiver truck a few tacklers on his way to the Tide’s longest passing play of the season.

Alabama cornerback Patrick Surtain could relate with Aggie tacklers who mostly failed in the pursuit of Waddle.

“You don’t know what he’s going to give you,” Surtain said. “You have to figure out ways to stop him. Just looking at taking leverage away from him, deciding which way to go. That makes it easier for me and the defense.”

Michael Casagrande is an Alabama beat writer for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.