Why MSU's Replacement Kicker Boyd Is Underrated Upgrade

Shockingly, one of the areas most in need this offseason for the Spartans was not the offense nor the defense, but the special teams, which suffered the losses of their star punter Ryan Eckley and their promising place kicker Martin Connington.

The former has since moved on to play for the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL, and the latter has transferred to play for the Kansas Jayhawks, leaving two massive holes to fill as MSU chases a better record on the year.

MSU, Pat Fitzgeral — Michigan State's head coach Pat Fitzgerald addresses the team at the end of the football Spring Showcase on Saturday, April 18, 2026, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The punting position has been filled nicely with a new star punter in Rhys Dakin, a very consistent and well-rounded player who transferred from the Iowa Hawkeyes, and looks to be a very worthwhile replacement.

However, it looked like the Spartans would have to look for a capable replacement for Connington for a while, until Liam Boyd decided to come to MSU, and he may be better than Connington would have been this year had he stayed.

Why Liam Boyd Will Be Better

One thing the Spartans struggled with last year was giving Connington kicks within his range; they asked him to kick four times from 40 yards and beyond, and he only made one.

While the offense is expected to improve this year, it is likely the Spartans will still demand the new kicker to hit long-distance field goals.

That is where Boyd shines, as he had the exact same number of kicks from 40 yards and beyond, and made 50% more than Connington did, with three of his four attempts being good. Granted, Boyd did not attempt a single boot from 50 or more, while Connington attempted three.

MSU needs that reliability from deep to win more games this year, as there were occasions where Connington missed last year that could have won games, such as against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and occasions where it would have been worthwhile to go for a deeper kick if he had been more accurate, like against the aforementioned Hawkeyes.

The Small Drawback

The Spartans need more reliability from deep, yes, but the accuracy from short distances is just as important, and Boyd missed two kicks from within 40 yards on eight total attempts while Connington missed only one with four more total attempts.

So, it's an overall massive win for the Spartans, as they have the reliability from deep they desperately need, and if Boyd can keep his short-distance accuracy in check, MSU will have been perfect in replacing their two key special team players.

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