Alabama appears to be adding a new name to the mix for next year’s punter opening. Sunday night, the Crimson Tide received a commitment from Colorado School of Mines punter Blake Doud. The redshirt junior will have one year of eligibility remaining at Alabama.

Doud earned Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Special Teams Player of the Year honors this season, leading NCAA Division II with 46.6 yards per punt. The Parker Colorado native had 13 punts of 50 or more yards this season and pinned his opponents inside the 20 on 19 occasions. He had a career-long 80-yard punt that was downed at the 1 against West Texas A&M

Along with Doud, Alabama added freshman Alex Asparuhov who ranks third nationally, according to Kohl’s Kicking.

“We identified him earlier in the spring,” DeBoer said during Alabama’s recruiting show. “He came and did a great job this summer at camp. Really narrowed down to him and a few others. He was a guy who we identified that we wanted. Can do it all — great athlete. Dad, very similar, pedigree — dad was a college football player, and things like that too. Just a lot of background checks, again, and things like that. I knew the people to go to. We knew the people to go to. He did more than check all the boxes.”

Alabama will have an opening at punter next season as redshirt senior James Burnip is out of eligibility.