Why MSU’s Loss of Eckley To Draft Won’t Hurt As Much as You Think

Pound-for-pound, nobody was better at their job on last season's Michigan State football team than Ryan Eckley.

Only two punters were selected during this year's NFL Draft. MSU's Eckley was the first to leave the board, also declaring with another year of eligibility on the table. He went 211th overall during the sixth round to the Baltimore Ravens.

More on Eckley's Time at MSU

Feb 25, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Michigan State place kicker Ryan Eckley (PK02) speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Eckley was the top player at his position group for a reason. He averaged 48.5 yards per punt during the 2025 season, which was the best mark in the entire country. Eckley was the Big Ten's Punter of the Year and a second-team All-American (AFCA, ESPN).

He was also pretty effective at pinning opponents deep in their own territory. Twenty of his 49 punts this past season were downed inside the opponent's 20-yard line, compared to only one touchback. Twenty-three of his punts also traveled at least 50 yards. Field position is already so important in football, but it's especially important in the NFL with the new kickoff rules, better defenses, and fewer possessions.

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

Eckley is the second straight starting punter the Spartans have gotten drafted. His predecessor, Bryce Baringer, was an All-American, averaging a nation-leading 49.0 yards per punt during the 2022 season. That was Eckley's true freshman season.

Baringer went 192nd overall during the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft to the New England Patriots. He's still the Patriots' starting punter, helping New England reach the Super Bowl this past season.

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To replace Eckley, Michigan State has brought in Iowa transfer Rhys Dakin. He followed in the footsteps of new special teams coordinator LeVar Woods, who recruited Dakin to the Hawkeyes from Australia a few years ago. Dakin has averaged 43.9 yards per punt across two seasons as the top punter in Iowa City and holds two more years of eligibility.

Dakin doesn't have quite the leg that Eckely has, but the ceiling can be pretty high. A few years ago, Woods developed Tory Taylor, who became a fourth-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, which is extremely high for a punter. Dakin was his replacement.

Michigan State special teams coordinator LeVar Woods speaks after a spring practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at the Skandalaris Football Center. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

Special teams as a whole will need to be better for Michigan State. Woods' forces at Iowa were the difference when the Spartans went into Kinnick Stadium last year, and they've made the difference in other games as well.

Dakin might average fewer yards per punt than Eckley, but Woods' scheme and history indicate that MSU should be more successful in the third phase of football than it has been in the past. Hiring a dedicated special teams coordinator, especially one of the best in the country, was a huge step in the right direction.

Michigan State punter Rhys Dakin speaks to the media following spring practice at the Skandalaris Football Center on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | Jacob Cotsonika, Michigan State Spartans on SI

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