Canal Street Chronicles
Who is the 26-year-old from Lake Forest, IL?
On Thursday, July 31, it was announced that the New Orleans Saints signed punter Kai Kroeger to join Mathew Hayball and James Burnip in the punter competition.
Kroeger attended Lake Forest High School in Lake Forest, Illinois, and was considered one of the nation’s top punters of the 2020 class. He also played quarterback on his junior varsity team as well as wide receiver.
Kroeger played college football for 5 seasons at the University of South Carolina. He was named a first-team All-American in 2022 and second-team in 2024. as well as first-team All-SEC in 2022 and 2024 and was a semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award in 2024.
He attempted 265 punts for a total of 11,823 yards for the Gamecocks, which ranks him second all-time in SEC history.
After going undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft, Kroeger signed with the New York Jets in May but was released in late July. Just days later, he signed with the Saints. Kroeger is wearing No. 32, last worn by newly retired Saints safety Tyrann Mathieu.
