Alabama Football Lands 2021 Punter from Australia

Alabama football coach Nick Saban has a knack for landing and developing elite talent at every position on the gridiron. 

The Crimson Tide's recruiting reach spans well over the United States and it's now gone international, as Saban and company have landed a punter from Australia to its 2021 class.

James Burnip, a product of Mount Macedon, Victoria, Australia, verbally committed to the Crimson Tide on Sunday night after de-committing from Ole Miss earlier in the evening. 

"I am extremely excited and honored to announce that I am committed to the University of Alabama," Burnip said in a statement on social media. "...To Coach Saban and Coach Galante, I am extremely grateful and excited for this opportunity and am excited to get to work in the coming weeks!"

Prokicking.com rates Burnip as a 4.5-star punter and he is listed at 6-foot-6 and 215 pounds. Burnip has trained extensively with Prokick Australia that has produced Division 1 punters like Ohio State's Cameron Johnston, Arkansas' Sam Irwin-Hill, LSU's Jamie Keehn and Penn State's Daniel Pasquariello, among others.

Burnip revealed that his decision to de-commit from the Rebels was because his offer with Ole Miss was only for three years, while the one with the Crimson Tide would be for four. 

"The three-year offer from Coach [Lane] Kiffin and Coach Hutzler was special to recieve," Burnip said. "But I cannot turn down the opportunity to play for four years at my new destination."

Burnip joins a position group that includes Ty Perine, Sam Johnson and Troy transfer Jack Martin.