Could Daniel Carlson kick, punt this season?

AUBURN --Daniel Carlson might be pulling double duty this fall. Auburn's new kicker is also competing for the punting job.

Jimmy Hutchinson, the lone scholarship punter, has struggled in fall camp, and Carlson was a punter and kicker in high school.

While coach Gus Malzahn doesn't want to overwork Carlson, the redshirt freshman welcomes the challenge of starting at two positions.

"There are kickers at other schools that have done it successfully," Carlson said. "Of course it's a little more rare, I guess, but I'm happy to take on the challenge. I'm excited about it. We'll see. I think I could be a really good punter if I continue to work on it. I'm kind of taller, built like a punter. If I can connect well, I can drop some bombs."

Carlson is one of four punters in the running, and all of them took reps Tuesday. Carlson said the coaches have done a good job of managing his workload in an attempt to keep him fresh and healthy.

"You worry about a young guy with their leg," Malzahn said. "He's done a solid job managing his own body. But he has been kicking a lot because he's trying to win the jobs."

Carlson will handle kickoff duties as well. He's replacing three-year starter Cody Parkey, who is currently with the Indianapolis Colts. Parkey led the nation in touchbacks last season with 69 and was 15-for-21 on field goals.

If Carlson wins the job, game days won't be a problem, special teams coach Scott Fountain said. Instead, Fountain said he'd have to make sure Carlson didn't take too many reps during the week. Last year, Parkey got Wednesday off, Fountain said.

"We'd just have to really look at what's the best way to manage his reps," Fountain said. "Otherwise, you'd have a really tired kicker about mid-year, and he'd go into a struggling mode."

At A-Day Carlson was the special teams MVP. While he missed an extra point, he made a 50-yard field goal, part of a 2-for-3 performance, with a missed 51-yarder.

"He's got a very strong leg," Fountain said. "He's a bigger guy than Cody, so we think, in time, as his strength gets better, that he has a chance to have a little more distance than Cody did. But Cody was good, it's going to be tough, but it's kind of a good standard for him to work towards."

He's secured the starting spot at kicker, but with the punting job in the air, Carlson will continue to work on both facets of his game as he waits for a decision.

"We should know more in the next few days," Carlson said. "The coaches are trying to make a decision and let us know, so we can mentally know what we need to be ready for going forward."