JK Scott Commits to Alabama: Tide Land No. 1 Ranked Kicker in Class of 2014

It's only fitting that the top team in college football, Alabama, would receive the commitment from elite special teams recruit JK Scott.

Matt Scalici of AL.com reports that Scott, whom he states is one of the best punters in the nation, has committed to Alabama:

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Alabama has found the player they hope will be ready to step in after punter Cody Mandell graduates following the 2014 season. According to multiple reports, Denver-native JK Scottcommitted to the Crimson Tide on Sunday after receiving a scholarship offer from Alabama while attending their summer prospect camp.

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Scalici goes on to report that Scott punted 39 times in his junior season, averaging 37.72 yards per punt.

To put that in perspective, current Alabama punter Cody Mandell averaged 44.28 yards per punt last season, according to CFBStats.com. As a rising senior, Scott is not that far off, and there's still much time for him to improve.

Special teams is the most underrated aspect in the game of football, especially at the college level. College kickers lack the precision and power that most NFL kickers have, thus the kicking game in college is much more erratic and uncertain.

This applies for kickoffs, field goals, extra points and even punting.

That uncertainty can be nullified with a great kicker, though.

In fact, a great special teams unit can give a college football team a major advantage. Those extra points and field goals add up quickly, and in a game where field position is integral, punters can set the tone for a defense.

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Scott is the No. 1 kicker in the 2014 class, so it appears as if Nick Saban and his staff may have found their next X-factor on special teams.

Whether he's ranked as a kicker or punter, he's obviously ranked as a top-notch special teams player.

That's yet another reason why Alabama has been, and will continue to be, one of the elite programs in college football.