Eddie Czaplicki was the best punter in college football. He will now be taking his talents to Kansas City, as the Chiefs are picking him up as an unrestricted free agent. The specialist is coming off a two-year career with the Trojans.

Winning the Ray Guy Award in 2024, he’ll now look to make the KC roster in 2025. KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reported that Czaplicki would be signing with the Chiefs on X. With his current contract, he’ll look to make the team and be a special teams option for a team that recently made the Super Bowl.

Matt Araiza is the current punter for Kansas City. As is the case for all positions throughout the league, adding pieces to develop depth is something that all teams will look to do. Czaplicki will undoubtedly work to position himself to be considered a starter. Either way, injuries can happen, and the now-former Trojan can be a serviceable option for coach Andy Reid to feel comfortable turning to.

There’s a reason why, along with the top national NCAA punter award, Czaplicki has a number of accolades. Between his leg strength and precision, it makes it an easy ST pick-up decision for the Chiefs to make. Considering that a number of specialists opt to take advantage of the college rules, Aussie-styled punters are becoming more common at the Division 1 level.

Why Czaplicki will be able to find NFL success

Czaplicki’s pro-style, however, should make it easier for him to transition to the NFL. His mechanics are fundamentally sound. Being able to get distance on his kicks and get the punt off within the time frame of a potential block rush should make it simple for him to get onto the field this year. The upside could eventually lead to KC going with the former Trojan as their long-term option.

As things stand now, he will look to earn a spot on the final roster and make a case, in the event he is part of initial cuts, to be on a practice squad somewhere. Czaplicki will be on a strong overall roster and annual playoff contender for the foreseeable future. The USC presence could be seen in the special teams room in their next ensuing run.