Final Weekly Positional Group Breakdown: Special Teams

The most anticipated article of the modern era… is probably not this article.

But if you’ve been following along, every week for the last two months, I’ve broken down each positional group for the Spartans. It has all culminated in this final article, published on the final Sunday before Michigan State football officially kicks off.

We’ve gone from quarterbacks through the trenches and around the speed positions, only to end here: with the players who often receive the least amount of attention but can hold the key to wins and losses.

Special teams.

Games are won and lost with all 11 players on the field, and while many would argue quarterback is the hardest position in sports, I believe kickers may beg to differ. With games on the line, it is often the kicker who faces the most daunting task: kicking a ball through whatever climate Mother Nature has to offer, with the game resting on their shoulders and what feels like the weight of the world behind every step.

Special teams isn’t just about kicking field goals, though. Punters are often mistaken for an intern in a uniform, standing around until they are finally called upon.

But a punter can dictate a game with the power and precision of one leg.

Punters can change the narrative of a game in the blink of an eye, and for the Spartans, they have been their bread and butter for the better part of the last decade. Michigan State has become synonymous with "Punter U," with its last two punters being selected in the NFL Draft.

So, who will be holding down the special teams units for the Spartans this year?

Projected Starter: Nick Duzansky (Junior)

Duzansky, a transfer from Oregon, will have one of the most important — and most forgotten — jobs on special teams. Getting the ball cleanly to the holder and punter is the first step in having a successful kicking operation and keeping the wheels moving.

Liam Boyd (Senior)

Last year at Charlotte, Boyd went 9-for-12 on field goal attempts and a perfect 15-for-15 on extra points. Boyd transferred to Michigan State from Charlotte, and before that spent time at North Carolina and Clemson.

Last season, Boyd missed two field goals between 20 and 29 yards and one between 40 and 49 yards.

Boyd is the lone listed kicker for the Spartans this season and will be tasked with helping Michigan State capitalize whenever the offense gets within scoring range.

Rhys Dakin (Junior)

Last year at Iowa, Dakin punted 42 times for a total of 1,833 yards, with his longest punt traveling 65 yards. Over the past two seasons, Dakin has placed 38 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Transferring to Michigan State from Iowa alongside special teams coach LeVar Woods, expectations surrounding the punting game are naturally high. Michigan State has built a reputation as Punter U, and there may be no player entering the season with higher expectations than Dakin.

Special teams will have to help Michigan State flip the field and steal points this season.

Pat Fitzgerald knows his roster isn't viewed among the elite of college football, meaning the Spartans will need to be firing on all cylinders during his first season leading Michigan State. Every phase of the game will matter.

To do that, Dakin will need to continue the tradition of elite Spartan punters, while Boyd will need to provide consistency whenever Michigan State has an opportunity to put points on the board.

The Spartans will need everything they can get from every player on the roster in 2026.

Especially the ones who are often forgotten about until the game is on the line.