The New Orleans Saints have 32 days before the 2025 regular season opener. They’ll open this year at home against the Arizona Cardinals and behind Kellen Moore as their new head coach. There have been 24 players to wear the No. 32 for the Saints in their franchise history. The most recent, Louisiana favorite Tyrann Mathieu, retired at the start of this year’s training camp. Some thought that 32 would remain unworn for at least a year, but that may change with the recent signing of rookie punter Kai Kroeger. Our Saints Player of the Day, here’s a look at the background of the team’s most recent addition.

Name (age): Kai Kroeger (23)

Hometown: Lake Forest, Ill.

Height, weight: 6-foot-3, 213 pounds

College: South Carolina Gamecocks

Relative Athletic Score: n/a

2025 salary cap hit: $840,000

One of the country’s top high school punters in his recruiting class, Kroeger was also a wide receiver at Lake Forest High School just outside of Chicago. He was instantly the team’s punter when arriving at South Carolina in 2020. Kroeger consistently flipped field position during his entire Gamecocks career. In 2021, he averaged 42.1 yards per kick with nearly 40% of his punts getting downed inside the opposing 20-yard line. His 46.1 average finished second in the SEC in 2022, as he led the conference in punting yardage to earn 1st Team All-SEC and 1st Team All-American accolades.

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Kroeger had a slightly down year in 2023 but would bounce back last season with another stellar campaign that culminated in first-team All-SEC and second-team All-American honors. He’d leave South Carolina with an astounding 44.6 average and the SEC career leader in punting yards since 2000. Kroeger also proved to be a lethal threat on fake punts. He completed 7 of 10 passes while at South Carolina, resulting in 205 yards and 3 touchdowns.

New Orleans has had a different punter for each of the past three years. Last season’s incumbent, Matthew Hayball, did well but will face competition from two others in training camp. Kroeger was recently added after being signed originally by the New York Jets after the draft but recently released. James Burnip, an undrafted rookie from Alabama, will also provide a push. Expect to see all three punters in action when the New Orleans Saints visit the Los Angeles Chargers in their first preseason game on Sunday.

This article originally appeared on Saints Wire: Countdown to Kickoff: Kai Kroeger is the Saints Player of Day 32