Michigan State Football Positional Preview: Specialists
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The outlook for Michigan State's special teams has changed a ton this offseason.
Football's third phase has been an area where MSU has underperformed lately. ESPN's SP+ rankings had the Spartans' special teams ranked 103rd in the country last season, below the team's offense (70th) and defense (82nd). The expectation in East Lansing is that it will change in a big way in 2026.
Special Teams Coordinator: LeVar Woods
Pat Fitzgerald's most stunning move of the offseason (in a good way) was making LeVar Woods the team's new special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. Woods had been the STC at Iowa since 2018 and on the staff at Iowa in some capacity since 2008.
Pound-for-pound, there is nobody inside Michigan State's building -- coach or player -- who is better at what they do than Woods. There's a reason he's going to be one of the very few special teams coaches to get a salary north of $1 million this season. The special teams units at Iowa have consistently been elite for years, and Fitzgerald is banking on Woods having the same effect at MSU.
Starting Punter: Rhys Dakin
Woods' effect was quickly felt when the Spartans landed punter Rhys Dakin from the portal. Dakin was the starting punter at Iowa for each of the last two seasons, and he hasn't been shy about the fact that his relationship with and belief in Woods is the main reason he transferred to Michigan State. He's averaged 43.9 yards per punt thus far.
MSU football fans haven't had much to be "spoiled" about recently, but the punter has been one of those things. Michigan State's last two starting punters, Bryce Baringer and Ryan Eckley, both became NFL draft picks. Dakin, who was a Second Team All-Big Ten honoree as a freshman and an honorable mention last year, could very well make it three in a row one day.
Starting Kicker: Liam Boyd
Michigan State's starting kicker for the 2026 season will be Liam Boyd. Last year's starter, Martin Connington, transferred to Kansas. Boyd transferred to MSU this offseason from Charlotte and is in his final year of eligibility. Boyd also had prior stops at Clemson and North Carolina.
Boyd is 10-for-13 (76.9%) during his career on field goals thus far, with a career-long of 42 yards. All but one of those kicks came last year at Charlotte. The main concern would be that two of his misses have been from inside 30 yards and a relatively short career-long, though Boyd did make one from 50 yards back in high school.
Starting Long Snapper: Nick Duzansky
Woods and MSU also went to the portal for a new long snapper. Jack Wills was the starter last year, but he transferred to Nebraska. The Spartans wound up getting Oregon transfer Nick Duzansky, who will be jumping into his first real starting opportunity this year. Duzansky appeared in eight total games during his time with the Ducks.
Kick Return Specialist: Kenneth Williams
One significant special teams contributor is bound to be Kenneth Williams. He's an incoming transfer from Nebraska, where he became one of the best kick returners in the country last year. Williams got Second Team All-Big Ten honors there after averaging 32.9 yards per return, including a 95-yard touchdown against Northwestern.
Punt Returner: Unknown
The big remaining question will be who returns punts for Michigan State this year. Those duties fell to Omari Kelly last year, but he left the program this offseason after exhausting his eligibility. Among the probable candidates for the job this year are Braylon Collier, Charles Taplin, Rodney Bullard Jr., Samson Gash, and Williams.
Backups
Punter: Alex Weeks
MSU's second option at punter is Northern Arizona transfer Alex Weeks. He appeared in just one game during his true freshman season at NAU, kicking off four times for 248 yards in a game against Portland State.
Kicker: Stephen Gonzales
Another option at kicker this season is Stephen Gonzales. He's joining the Spartans as a member of the team's 2026 recruiting class. I actually wouldn't be stunned if we see Gonzales a few times this season, especially with the NCAA's new 5-in-5 eligibility rules leaving no incentive to keep him on the bench.
Gonzales is known for having a big leg. He made a field goal as long as 57 yards last high school season, and he had two other made kicks from 53 yards.
Long Snapper: Trey Serauskis
Michigan State's backup long snapper this year is Trey Serauskis. He finished ranked fourth in his class by Rubio Long Snapping.
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A 2025 graduate from Michigan State University, Cotsonika brings a wealth of experience covering the Spartans from Rivals and On3 to his role as Michigan State Spartans Beat Writer on SI. At Michigan State, he was also a member of the world-renowned Spartan marching band for two seasons.
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