James Platte is getting his NFL chance with the Las Vegas Raiders after closing out his college career at The Citadel with one of the best seasons any FCS punter had in 2025.
The Raiders brought Platte in for their four-day rookie minicamp, giving the former Bulldogs specialist a chance to turn a standout final year into a pro opportunity.
Platte did not arrive at this point on hype alone.
He reached it after winning the 2025 FCS Punter of the Year award and finishing the season with 48 punts for 2,232 yards, a 46.5-yard average, 20 punts of 50 yards or more, and a career-long 72-yarder against Valdosta State.
He also pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line 16 times while helping The Citadel finish with the No. 2 net punting rate in the country at 42.53 yards per kick.
A final season that pushed him onto the NFL radar
Platte’s last year in Charleston was the one that pushed everything forward. The leg strength was obvious, but so was the control. He was not just blasting away and hoping for distance.
He combined hang time, placement, and field-flipping power in a way that made him one of the most reliable specialists in the subdivision.
That is why the postseason recognition kept coming after the year ended.
Along with the punter of the year award, he also collected third-team All-America honors from FCS Football Central and an honorable mention from the Associated Press.
The production was strong enough that it did not feel like a one-year burst. In 2024, Platte had already put together a huge season, averaging 47.1 yards per punt, which led the SoCon, ranked second in the FCS, and sat fifth nationally.
That year, he delivered 18 punts of 50-plus yards, dropped 17 inside the 20, and posted a then-career long of 69 yards.
By the time his college run ended, he had locked down The Citadel’s career punting average record at 44.0 yards per kick.
That bigger body of work matters because specialists often get judged on consistency as much as highlights.
Platte’s résumé shows both. He had the long kicks, the average, the inside-the-20 numbers, and the steady week-to-week production that made him one of the best punters in the FCS over multiple seasons.
Raiders minicamp gives Platte the next opening
Platte heads to the Raiders as a South Aiken product from Aiken, South Carolina, listed at 6-foot-0 and 210 pounds, carrying a college résumé that already separated him from most post-draft specialists.
Rookie minicamp does not guarantee anything, but it does put him in an NFL building with a real shot to show that his college production can travel.
This is usually how it works for punters who come from outside the biggest programs. There is no seven-round spotlight, no long draft-night segment, and no automatic roster path.
The next step comes through an invite, then a few days of live work, and then whatever follows from there. Platte has already done the hard part by putting together the kind of season that forces teams to look.
The Raiders are taking a look at a punter who already knows how to handle volume, pressure, and field-position swings.
Platte leaves The Citadel as an award winner, a school record holder, and one of the more productive specialists in the FCS. Now he gets the chance to see whether that game holds up at the next level.
James Platte is from Aiken, South Carolina, and attended South Aiken High School before starting his college career at The Citadel.
The award is based on punting performance measures such as net punting average, punts placed inside the 20-yard line, and the percentage of punts not returned, with particular emphasis placed on net punting average.
