Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer recently spoke with Tide 100.9’s Ryan Fowler about the latest developments surrounding Alabama spring football.
One of the players that DeBoer brought up is punter Blake Doud. DeBoer seemed to be pleased with what he has seen from the Division II transfer.
“He has done a nice job. I think there’s still just getting comfortable with what we do. We like to move the guy back there with his punting. If it’s not who he is, obviously we’ll adjust. Burnip kind of set the tone on the rugby stuff and moving that guy around, so we’re still testing the waters on what his strengths are. We kind of know coming in. But he’s done a good job. He’s been consistent.”
Doud joined the team as a walk-on this offseason. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
The Colorado native is firmly in the mix to replace James Burnip at punter. That will not be an easy task, but Doud has plenty of experience and the talent to assume the role as the starting punter.
Doud spent the first four years of his college career at Colorado School of Mines. In 2024, Doud was named the RMAC Special Teams Player of the Year. He led all of Division II Division in average yards per punt at 46.6. The longest punt of his career was 77 yards.
If Doud can come close to being as productive as Burnip, Alabama would be in great shape.
It is yet to be determined if Doud will be the starter though. He will have to beat out freshman Alex Asparuhov for the starting spot. Asparuhov missed spring ball due to an injury he suffered during his senior year of high school. Nevertheless, it is encouraging to hear that Doud is a solid option at the position heading into the offseason.
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Brody Smoot is a team reporter for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “follow” him on X, via @brodysmoot.
