James Burnip reveals coach Jay Nunez worked "tirelessly" to help improve at Alabama 

James Burnip, a punter for the Alabama Crimson Tide, is, like a good number of punters and kickers in college football, Australian. He has hissights on the NFL and has been invited to the NFL combine this week in Indianapolis.

During an interview with the media at the combine, Burnip spoke about how Alabama special teams coach Jay Nunez helped him.

"(Coach Nunez) he really worked with me tirelessly and was trying to get the best out of me and to make me the most consistent player and best I can be," Burnip said (Timestamp: 3:09).

Jay Nunez came into the Alabama program during the offseason last year. He joined new Tide coach Kalen DeBoer's coaching staff from Oklahoma, where he made improvements to the Sooners' special teams. However, over time, the improvements leveled out.

As for Burnip, he punted for the Crimson Tide for four seasons, starting in 2021. From looking at his numbers from each year, the arrival of Nunez clearly led to a massive improvement in his performance.

During the 2023 season, Burnip punted 57 times for 2,710 yards, with an average of 47.5 yards per punt. He had no touchbacks, and only five of his punts were inside the 20-yard line.

There was an improvement last season. While he had less total yardage (2,356 yards) and a smaller average (43.5 yards), Burnip punted less in 2024 (52 punts) than in 2023. However, 19 of those punts landed within the 20-yard line, and four went for touchbacks, which was a career first for Burnip.

The metrics show an improvement under Nunez that has potentially set Burnip up for a good future in the NFL.

James Burnip: NFL draft prospects

NFL Draft Buzz has Burnip as the third-best punter available in the 2025 NFL draft. He is ranked alongside Oklahoma punter Luke Elzinga, who was also coached by Jay Nunez.

The website predicts that Burnip will be a fifth-round pick. Considering that punters are never at the top of any team list, to be a fifth-round pick would be a strong achievement.