Alabama will have to replace its star punter James Burnip next season. The Australian native exhausted his college eligibility following the conclusion of the 2024 season and will now be heading to the NFL. The question that remains in Tuscaloosa: Who will Alabama turn toward to replace Burnip in 2025?
The two obvious options have to be the two punters that the Alabama coaching staff signed as a part of the 2025 recruiting class. That is three-star punter Alex Asparuhov and Colorado School of Mines transfer punter Blake Doud.
Asparuhov hails from San Joaquin Memorial High School in Fresno, California. He was rated by a number of recruiting outlets as a top five punter. Asparuhov chose the Crimson Tide over Florida, Fresno State, and Oklahoma. During his junior season, he had 32 punts for 1,392 total yards and averaged 43.5 yards per punt. His longest punt was 68 yards. According to Kohl’s Kicking Camp, he “might be the most fundamentally sound punter in the 2025 class.”
Doud committed to Alabama about a month ago after entering the transfer portal from Colorado School of Mines. Doud spent four seasons with the Orediggers. As a redshirt junior, Doud was named a First-Team All-RMAC selection. In 2024, Doud had 41 punts for 1,909 yards. He averaged 46.6 yards per punt. His longest punt of the season was 80 yards.
The two will likely battle it out for the starting punter spot with Burnip moving on to the next level. Burnip left some huge shoes to fill. He played in 55 games for the Crimson Tide from 2021-2024. He had 201 punts for 8,808 total yards and his longest punt being 67 yards. In addition, Burnip averaged 43.8 yards per punt. Regardless of who replaces Burnip, it will be difficult for them to duplicate his numbers. The Alabama coaching staff is hoping that his potential replacement can be sufficient enough to be an X-factor on special teams and help the team win football games.
GET THE BEST ALABAMA FOOTBALL INSIDER INFORMATION, MESSAGE BOARD ACCESS, AND RECRUITING COVERAGE TODAY! SIGN UP HERETO UNLOCK OUR SUBSCRIBER ONLY CONTENT!*
Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.
