James Burnip Named Ray Guy Semifinalist

James Burnip is in the news for the second time this week and this is also a second positive update.

According to the Ray Guy Award, Alabama's Australian punter has been named a semifinalist for the top punter in the nation.

Burnip has added over 10 yards per punt to his arsenal since arriving at Alabama as a true freshman in 2021 and was placed on the Ray Guy Award Watch list in the preseason.

In 2024, Burnip averages 46.4 yards per punt, good for sixth across all of FBS.

His season-long was a 64-yard punt in Madison, Wisconsin when the Crimson Tide defeated the Badgers 42-10.

Burnip will get three more chances to showcase his powerful kicking in the regular season.

Burnip, a 6-foot-6, 236-pound redshirt senior from Mount Macedon, Australia, is viewed as one of the top punter prospects in the 2025 NFL draft, set to take place in Green Bay, Wisconsin, in April 2025.

Burnip is one of 10 Alabama players with expiring eligibility this season, among several other draft-eligible players for the Crimson Tide.

Burnip is arguably Alabama's best punter since J.K. Scott was heralded as the best punter in the nation. The Green Bay Packers drafted Scott in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL draft

Other Semifinalists for the Ray Guy are:

Alex Mastromanno - Florida State
Andrew Stokes - South Florida
Brett Thorson - Georgia
Eddie Czaplicki - USC
Fraser Masin - Ole Miss
James Burnip - Alabama
Jeremy Crawshaw - Florida
John Henderson - Bowling Green
Kai Kroeger - South Carolina
Tyler White - Texas A&M

Wyatt Fulton is the TIde 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.