Michigan State football punter Ryan Eckley has been selected on day 3 of the NFL Draft at pick number 211 in the 6th round by the Baltimore Ravens. Eckley joins teammate Matthew Gulbin as the only Spartans taken in this year's draft, with Gulbin going to the Washington Commanders number 209 overall.
Eckley is one of the most successful punters not just in school history but in Big Ten history. He holds a Big Ten and school record for punting average last season. He was a First-Team All-Big Ten honoree, along with a Second-Team All-American and Big Ten Punter of the Year.
Eckley became the second punter over the past 3 years to get drafted out of MSU, along with New England Patriot Bryce Baringer.
Baringer is a decorated punter in MSU’s history, owning multiple school punting records, receiving First-Team All-American honors, and a Big Ten Punter of the Year. In just his third year in the NFL, he was part of the Patriots' successful season, finishing with the joint best record in the NFL, and going to the Super Bowl, but they were defeated by the Seattle Seahawks.
Eckley and Baringer were both on the MSU roster in 2022, where they developed a relationship together, sharing the punting room. They have stayed in contact for many years and celebrated each other’s success.
“Bryce and I are in contact a lot, he’s a big part of it for me,” said Eckley. “I used him as a resource and was able to learn and grow from what he’s learned through his six-year career.”
Now throughout his pre-draft process, Eckley has leaned heavily on his friend and former teammate for guidance. Eckley emphasized the advice Baringer had for him and has used it to best prepare for the NFL Draft.
“Enjoy it. Really take it all in, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” said Eckley on Baringer's advice for him. “How many other times are you going to be spending four months of your life training to go play at the professional level?”
Eckley featured in the NFL Combine and MSU Pro Day this offseason, continuing to boost his draft stock after one of the best punting seasons in conference history. Eckley has also done work on his own in vastly different climates to best prepare himself for the professional level, training in Buffalo, New York, and Orlando, Florida.
“The process has been great, I was training in Buffalo and Orlando, just getting ready,” said Eckley. “We were able to use the Bills indoor facility while we were there which is super nice, and yeah, the weather’s not ideal but you kind of get used to it coming to East Lansing.”
All the hard work and events he participated in have paid off for Eckley. He is officially heading to the Ravens and will join their punting next season, following in the footsteps of Baringer playing in the same conference.
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