3 New MSU Transfers Who Will Help Ease Loss of NFL Hopefuls

Michigan State had a lot of holes to fill this offseason.

That's always the case after a coaching change, but the Spartans still had two players go in this year's NFL Draft, in spite of a 4-8 season. The Washington Commanders picked former MSU center Matt Gulbin 209th overall, and the Baltimore Ravens picked punter Ryan Eckley 211th overall.

Michigan State's Matt Gulbin, right, hugs quarterback Aidan Chiles before the football game against Boston College on Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Several other players have also signed undrafted free agent contracts with teams since the conclusion of the draft.

The transfer portal has been the main way that MSU has replaced those key outgoing players. These three in particular will be important in that effort:

P Rhys Dakin

Replacing Eckley will be Iowa transfer Rhys Dakin. He followed special teams coordinator LeVar Woods from Iowa to Michigan State in order to be the Spartans' new starting punter. Dakin has averaged 43.9 yards per punt across his college career so far and has two more years of eligibility left.

Dakin is from Melbourne, Australia, and definitely has NFL ambitions. Woods has developed an NFL punter before, as Tory Taylor went in the fourth round back in 2024 to the Chicago Bears. Adding some additional juice to the leg is the main path there, but Dakin has still placed an impressive 44% of his career punts inside the opponent's 20-yard line.

C Trent Fraley

April 18, 2026; East Lansing, Mich.; Michigan State Spartans offensive lineman Trent Fraley readies to snap the ball during MSU's "Spring Showcase" at Spartan Stadium. | Starr Portice, Michigan State Spartans on SI

North Dakota State transfer Trent Fraley will be the Spartans' way to replace Gulbin. He's a bit undersized at 6-foot-1, but is coming off a stellar season where he won the FCS's Rimington Award, which goes to the subdivision's top center. Fraley is also the son of Detroit Lions offensive line coach Hank Fraley.

Fraley is expected to be the third straight one-year transfer portal addition that MSU has made at center. Two years ago, it was the also-undersized Tanner Miller, who was the Spartans' highest-graded offensive lineman in 2024, per PFF. Then, it was Gulbin manning the middle of the trenches.

RB Cam Edwards

One of the Spartans' UDFA signings was Elijah Tau-Tolliver, who was probably the team's best running back towards the end of the 2025 season. Michigan State's answer for his departure, and then some, is UConn transfer Cam Edwards.

He was one of the most productive running backs in the country last year, totaling 1,240 rushing yards in 2025, which was good for 15th in the entire FBS. Edwards has a chance to make himself a solid NFL prospect if he proves that he can be a productive ball carrier at the Big Ten level.

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