Reed Harradine is a college football specialist currently attending the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance. Reed Harradine serves as the first string kicker and kickoff specialist for the Golden Eagles and previously played at Grambling State University, where he also handled kicking responsibilities while continuing his academic studies. During his time at Grambling, he was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success. His athletic background began in soccer, where he developed as a goalkeeper and competed in elite programs including the Olympic Development Program and the Elite Competitive National League. He later transitioned to football at age 14 after training with Coach Mike McCabe at One On One Kicking, a development program for kickers and punters. His experience developing both kicking and punting skills reflects the specialized preparation required for multiple roles on college football special teams.
Balancing Kicking and Punting Duties in College Football
In college football, “kicking duties” mean field goals, extra points, and kickoffs, while “punting duties” mean kicking the ball away on fourth down to manage field position. Many teams assign these responsibilities to separate specialists. Because roster depth can change with injuries and scholarship limits, some programs ask one specialist to cover both roles, which reshapes preparation.
A kicker and a punter use the same leg, but they do not perform the same job. A kicker strikes a placed ball off a hold or a tee, aiming for accuracy and consistent distance. A punter drops the ball and kicks it before it hits the ground, so the drop and step timing must stay precise.
Special teams coaches often separate the roles because specialists improve faster when they focus on a single set of techniques. A placekicker benefits from repeated work with the same snapper and holder so the timing stays stable under pressure. A punter needs focused repetitions with the long snapper and protection unit to sharpen contact and directional control.
Even with those trade-offs, some staff members assign both duties to a single player. Injuries, scholarship limits, and limited depth can make it unrealistic to carry multiple specialists. An athlete who proves reliable in both roles can free a roster spot for another position. However, that flexibility still carries risk if a single mistake creates an easy scoring opportunity.
For a dual-role specialist, the first major challenge is practice design. The special teams coordinator decides how many placekicking reps to schedule, how many punting periods to include, and when to work with each unit. Some teams use separate blocks, while others run placekicks and punts back-to-back to mirror game-day transitions.
In practice, when a player spends most of the week taking placekicking reps, punt timing and directional control can slip. If the week leans too heavily toward punting, the rhythm needed for field goal accuracy can fade. Coaches must protect both skill sets because the athlete is preparing for two distinct roles.
On game day, execution depends on timing as much as leg strength, since an off-target snap can ruin a field goal before the holder sets the ball. On punts, the long snapper and protection unit must deliver the ball cleanly and give the punter enough space, or a routine play can turn into a block or long return. A dual-role specialist may then have to switch quickly between a scoring attempt and a field-position punt so that a small timing mistake can have big consequences.
Before assigning both duties to a single athlete, evaluators look for evidence that performance holds up under unstable conditions. Coaches want to see solid execution when the wind changes ball flight, when rain affects handling, or when the team lines up from an awkward spot on the field. They also study how the athlete responds when the snap or hold is slightly off target, because college games rarely offer perfect conditions.
When the dual-role setup works, the program treats the position as two separate assignments rather than one blended role. The special teams coordinator develops a weekly plan that preserves technique across both kicking styles. On game day, coaches gain an advantage because they can adjust the punt plan or kicking approach without changing personnel. Over time, that reliability can make the specialist more valuable, as it demonstrates that the athlete can handle responsibility in multiple high-pressure situations.
About Reed Harradine
Reed Harradine is a college football specialist and student at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he serves as the first-string kicker and kickoff specialist for the Golden Eagles while pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Finance. He previously attended Grambling State University and was inducted into the National Society of Leadership and Success. His athletic background began in competitive soccer before transitioning to football, where he trained with Coach Mike McCabe at One On One Kicking and continues to develop his skills in both kicking and punting.
