Nation Ford punter changes his mind, commits to Alabama

Nation Ford punter Skyler DeLong flipped his college commitment this week, opting for Alabama over Tennessee.

The rising senior committed to the Vols two weeks ago. He recently attended Clemson and Alabama kicking camps. Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban pulled DeLong and his father aside 30 minutes into the Alabama camp June 3 and offered the punter a full scholarship. He accepted it this week.

“It was the right decision for me and my family in the long run,” DeLong said on Wednesday.

DeLong, 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, is one of the top-rated punters in the country, according to two kicking-focused outlets, Chris Sailer Kicking and Kohl’s Kicking Camps.

Alabama punter and second team All-American J.K. Scott will be a senior this coming season, meaning DeLong could have a shot at playing time early in his college career. DeLong said he is pondering the possibility of graduating early from high school and that is academics are in good shape.

DeLong will become the second punter from Fort Mill to kick at Alabama. Fort Mill High grad Worth Gregory was in Tuscaloosa for a season before later transferring to East Carolina.

This story was originally published June 15, 2017 at 12:03 PM with the headline "Nation Ford punter changes his mind, commits to Alabama."