Special teams has been made a clear priority for Pat Fitzgerald in his early days in East Lansing.
Michigan State has had a pretty good run recently with individual specialists, but the units as a whole have been lacking. Despite having elite punter Ryan Eckley last season, the Spartans finished ranked 103rd on special teams, according to SP+. That should change this coming year.
The Million-Dollar Special Teams Blueprint
The biggest message Fitzgerald sent is his decision to hire LeVar Woods as both the standalone special teams coordinator and the team’s assistant head coach. Woods is one of the highest-paid special teams coaches in college football now. His three-year deal will pay him $1.1 million this season, $1.2 million in 2027, and $1.3 million in 2028.
Bringing Woods in is the biggest source of confidence here. He had been the special teams coordinator at Iowa since 2018 and had assisted with the Hawkeyes’ units since 2012. Iowa’s special teams were ranked 10th in the country last season on SP+, which is the kind of territory it was accustomed to with Woods in charge.
Woods is a major reason Michigan State took a loss in Iowa City last season. Kaden Wetjen returned one punt for a touchdown against the Spartans last season and had several other long returns, totaling 147 return yards on just three opportunities. MSU lost that game by three, also blowing a 10-point lead entering the fourth quarter.
Portal Additions Poised to Dictate Field Position
The Spartans also have several new players who will fill in roles nicely. Woods brought over punter Rhys Dakin with him from Iowa City. Dakin was a second-team All-Big Ten and an honorable-mention all-conference honoree during his first two seasons in college football…