![South Carolina football's Special Teams Coordinator Pete Lembo has utilized the third phase of the game in unique ways, including having punter Kai Kroeger throw passes. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/848b920607d483aa9948160677043b0496d47958cf44e275c75d784d0e738f2c.jpg "South Carolina football's Special Teams Coordinator Pete Lembo has utilized the third phase of the game in unique ways, including having punter Kai Kroeger throw passes. [Doug Engle/Gainesville Sun]")
South Carolina football is the home team for the nation’s best special teams unit. Special teams coordinator Pete Lembo led a group in 2022 that placed top-10 nationally in punting, placekicking accuracy, punt coverage, punt returns, kickoff returns, special teams touchdowns, and blocked punts. It stands to reason that Lembo was Phil Steele’s Assistant Coach of the Year.
Arguably Lembo’s most dangerous special teams weapon is his punter Kai Kroeger.
Kroeger has had a phenomenal career at South Carolina, sitting second all-time in Gamecock history in punt average while leading the country last season in punts downed inside the 20-yard line. Kroeger also is a threat to throw the football. For his career, he is 6-6 passing with over 175 yards passing, 3 touchdowns, and 3 first down conversions.
Kroeger has gotten a lot of national love this offseason, and it is all well-deserved. Named to the watchlist for the Ray Guy Award, he has also been selected as a preseason All-SEC performer and as a preseason All-American by multiple outlets.
On Monday, he added one to his preseason All-American count.
The Associated Press released their official preseason All-American teams, and Kroeger slotted in as the second-team punter. Iowa’s Tory Taylor was the AP’s preseason first-team punter after getting plenty of practice last season punting behind the Hawkeyes’ mess of an offense.
Kroeger has an outside chance this season of supplanting Joseph Charlton as the top punter in South Carolina football history in terms of average punt distance. However, Kroeger’s excellence isn’t just about booming kicks (though, he certainly does that when needed). It’s much more about field position with Kroeger.
The Lake Forest, Illinois native has an unrivaled ability to place the football exactly where he wants it so that his coverage unit can get there to make the tackle or down the loose football. Last season’s win over Clemson was influenced heavily by Kroeger’s efforts, and that trend could continue again in 2023.
Kai Kroeger is a preseason All-American, and it feels almost like a formality that he will be an All-American again come postseason award season, as well.