Florida State punter Alex Mastromanno is among the best players available at his position in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Melbourne, Australia native is an NCAA Consensus All-American and First-Team All-ACC punter. Mastromanno averaged a career-high 49.3 yards per punt this past season.
Mastromanno recently spoke exclusively with The Draft Network. Mastromanno discussed his experience at this year’s Hula Bowl, the art of punting, which teams are showing interest in his services, and more.
JM: You attended this year's Hula Bowl. What was your experience like out there?
Alex Mastromanno: It was an awesome experience. I loved my time at the Hula Bowl in Orlando. It was a competitive environment. I built some great relationships with teams. There were a bunch of great punters in this draft class also in attendance.
I wanted to compete in that environment. I got a lot out of that experience. It was great to wrap up the week by playing in the game. I was really happy with how the entire week went.
JM: What do you think you proved to scouts in attendance?
Alex Mastromanno: I think I showed scouts that I have terrific leg strength. I wanted them to watch me execute different styles of punting. I displayed an NFL-ready skill set. I wanted them to see that.
JM: Who are some of the teams and scouts you met with at the Hula Bowl?
Alex Mastromanno: I met with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New England Patriots, New Orleans Saints, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Los Angeles Chargers. I met with quite a few teams.
JM: There’s a lot of interest in you and it’s easy to see why. When it comes to punting, how do you balance physical ability and technique with mental awareness?
Alex Mastromanno: I think punting is a very technical skill. At the same time, it comes down to your ability to stay in the moment and execute when your number gets called, whether that’s at the start of the game or at the very end when you have to punt a ball through the back of the end zone in a high-stakes moment.
Punting is all about being locked in mentally. From a physical standpoint, that’s why you practice repetitiveness and get the reps in. It needs to be automatic when you get to game day. You gotta be able to execute consistently.
JM: How do you go about practicing ball placement and different ball drops based on field position?
Alex Mastromanno: That’s something I’m always thinking about before I go on the field. It depends on our field position. My special teams coach might be asking me to do something different depending on the distance. You might try to punt the ball out of bounds if we’re backed up in our end zone.
Or maybe we want to blast the ball out of the end zone and flip the field. There might be a time where the opposing team has two returners back there. Punting the ball outside the numbers toward the sideline is critical in those situations.
Or they might send 11 guys to try and block the punt (laughs). You just have to catch the ball cleanly and get the punt off in those situations. You have to be prepared for all scenarios by repeating those reps.
You never know what type of kick is required until your number gets called. It might be the sort of punt you get once a year. You have to be ready.
JM: We've appreciated your time today. I’ve really enjoyed discussing the art of punting with you. In closing, why should a team use a draft pick on Alex Mastromanno?
Alex Mastromanno: I believe I have the skills required to play in the NFL for a long time. I think I’ve shown my consistency at a high level for a number of years now, especially in college. I’m feeling very confident about my transition to the NFL, and sticking there for a long time.
I look forward to being a great punter and helping my team win a lot of games. That’s one of the reasons I play the game. I look forward to fitting into a winning culture. I’m going to help an organization.