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Kalen DeBoer offers post-spring injury update on freshman punter Alex Asparuhov

1918632_10206777287683070_1367905321192383146_nby: Charlie Potter05/14/25Charlie_Potter
Alabama punter Alex Asparuhov
Alabama punter Alex Asparuhov (@alex__asparuhov7 / Instagram)

HOOVER, Ala. – Alabama’s punter competition was shorthanded this spring, as freshman Alex Asparuhov missed all 15 practices as he continued to recover from a high school knee injury.

The Crimson Tide signed Asparuhov as part of its 2025 recruiting class, as James Burnip ran out of eligibility. But with the freshman’s injury, Alabama brought in a transfer before spring ball. Colorado School of Mines transfer Blake Doud committed to the Tide and was the top punter during spring camp, but Asparuhov figures to be in the mix whenever healthy.

On Wednesday morning, head coach Kalen DeBoer said he believes the specialist will be good to go when the Crimson Tide begins preseason camp this summer ahead of his second year.

“Alex will be cleared. That’s the expectation there,” said DeBoer before teeing off at the Regions Tradition Pro-Am. “From our standpoint, we wanted to make sure that we had a couple of different options. 

“Just him not having the level of training, the level of work that he’d have if he were healthy all through the spring and summer, that was something that we just wanted to make sure we guarded against.”

A 3-star recruit in the Class of 2025, Asparuhov was rated as the nation’s No. 3 punter, per the On3 Industry Rankings, following four years at San Joaquin Memorial in Fresno, California. He ultimately chose Alabama over Florida, Fresno State and Oklahoma, among others.

Asparuhov is expected to compete for the starting punter job this summer, and whoever takes over that role has big shoes to fill. Burnip handled punting for the Crimson Tide each of the last four years and averaged 45.37 per kick in 2024, which ranked 11th in the country.

“He’s really coming along,” DeBoer said of Asparuhov. “He’s an athlete. He’s strong, a strong kid. It seems like his recovery process is going well, so we expect him to be cleared and be a part of the competition.”

Alabama will kick off the 2025 season at Florida State on August 30 at 2:30 p.m. CT (ABC).

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