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Ryan Eckley declares for 2026 NFL Draft after stellar season at MSU
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- Ryan Eckley declares for 2026 NFL Draft after stellar season at MSU
Michigan State football is losing one of its best punters in school history.
Ryan Eckley announced Tuesday, Dec. 2, via X he plans to forego his final year of eligibility to enter the NFL draft in April.
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"Since I was six years old, football has been a part of who I am," Eckley wrote. "What started as a kid chasing a dream turned into years of work, sacrifice, and growth, and I'm incredibly grateful for every step of the journey that brought me here."
Michigan State punter Ryan Eckley (98) celebrates against Maryland after winning 38-28 at Ford Field in Detroit on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.
Recruited to MSU by Mel Tucker, Eckley emerged as one of the nation's best punters over the past two seasons under coach Jonathan Smith , who was fired Sunday. The 6-foot-2, 207-pound native of Lithia, Florida, led the Big Ten in 2024 at 47.9 yards per punt, which is tied for the fourth-best average in school history. He earned second-team All-Big Ten by coaches and third-team from media while booting 20 punts of 50-or-more yards.
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This season, Eckley averaged 48.5 yards to rank first in the Big Ten and second in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He moved into second place in MSU's record book behind Bryce Baringer 's 49-yard average in 2022 and ahead of Baringer's 48.4-yard average in 2021.
Baringer was drafted by the New England Patriots in the sixth round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com . Follow him @chrissolari .
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ryan Eckley declares for NFL draft after big season for MSU football
