MSU's Ryan Eckley Wins Big Award Following Stellar Season

Michigan State's Ryan Eckley received some real recognition for his stellar play this season.

Oct 25, 2025; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Ryan Eckley (96) punts the ball against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images | Brendan Mullin-Imagn Images

It's easy to dismiss the importance of the punter, but Michigan State is going to miss what Ryan Eckley has been able to provide.

Eckley declared for the NFL Draft on Tuesday, despite having one year of eligibility remaining. One day later, he was named the Big Ten's Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year and was the only Spartan who was named first-team all-conference.

Eckley's 2025 Season, Career at MSU

Michigan State senior Ryan Eckley is recognized during a ceremony before the game against Penn State on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The stats were about as good as they get for a punter. Eckley booted it away 49 times this season, averaging 48.5 yards per punt, the second-best number in college football.

Eckley also placed 20 of those punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line, another stellar number, especially since only one punt resulted in a touchback. His longest punt of the season was for 60 yards.

That type of season is a reason why playing in the NFL is on the table for him. Eckley was a second-team all-Big Ten selection by the coaches last year and is even better this season.

Eckley is the second Michigan State player to win the conference's award for best punter since it began awarding it in 2011, joining Bryce Baringer's 2022 campaign, which happened during Eckley's true freshman season at MSU. Baringer ended up being selected by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and he still plays for the Pats today.

Michigan State's Ryan Eckley punts against Boston College during the fourth quarter on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In total, he will leave East Lansing with 149 career punts, with those boots totaling 7,094 yards. That is good for a tremendous 47.6 yards per punt.

Where MSU Goes From Here

Michigan State Spartans head coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses fans during a men's basketball game against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2025, at the Breslin Center. Fitzgerald had been formally introduced earlier that day. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Michigan State and Pat Fitzgerald are almost certainly going to have to dip into the transfer portal this offseason to find their starting punter for next season. The only other punter listed on the Spartans' roster this season was Carson Voss, a redshirt senior who is now out of eligibility.

This is a pretty common route for power conference teams these days. Coaches only have so many roster spots and scholarships that they can give out, and they would usually prefer to get a sure thing with specialists, since building depth in the trenches and with skill groups is more important than having a good third-string kicker.

Transfers are generally more of a sure thing than high schoolers. Only the top punters coming out of high school get legitimate Power Four looks; most of the others go to Group of Five schools or are preferred walk-ons. Eckley started that way at MSU.

Nov 22, 2024; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans punter Ryan Eckley (96) leads his teammates in the fight song as the rain falls after their game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Spartan Stadium. | Dale Young-Imagn Images

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