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In East Lansing, the spotlight often shines on the ball handlers in special teams—whether they use their hands or feet—but the true backbone lies with the unsung heroes: the blockers, lane fillers, and downfield tacklers who make those plays possible. Assembling a formidable special teams unit requires players who are committed to making a difference, and Michigan State's new coordinator, LeVar Woods, is counting on internal growth to identify the right personnel.
Woods emphasizes a player-first mentality over positional labels. 'The ultimate title someone can give you is not, I'm a receiver, I'm a running back, or I'm a quarterback. It's that you're a football player,' Woods stated. 'And wherever you want me to play, coach, I'm going to go play.'
Woods arrives in East Lansing after an 18-year tenure at Iowa, where he served as special teams coordinator under Kirk Ferentz for the past eight seasons. During his time there, he developed dynamic returners like Cooper DeJean and Kaden Wetjen, both of whom haunted Michigan State in recent losses to the Hawkeyes. He also mentored Ray Guy Award-winning punter Tory Taylor.
Michigan State head coach Pat Fitzgerald, who called Woods a 'future head coach' at Big Ten Media Days, believes Woods is the perfect fit to elevate the Spartans' special teams. 'He's the best special teams coordinator in college football,' Fitzgerald said. 'For us to win the way we want to win, we've got to be championship-level in all three phases. He brings organization, structure, technique, fundamentals, and just overall who he is.'
Last season, special teams duties were split between Chad Wilt and Keith Bhonapha under former coach Jonathan Smith, but the unit struggled despite having talent like kicker Jonathan Kim and punter Ryan Eckley. The deficiencies were glaring in a loss to Iowa, where Wetjen broke the game open and Eckley, the Big Ten Punter of the Year, was underutilized. Fitzgerald, whose son is a backup quarterback for the Hawkeyes, watched that game from the stands and identified special teams as a critical area for improvement.
Key Analysis
Woods has wasted no time reshaping the roster, bringing in specialists via the transfer portal: punter Rhys Dakin (Iowa), kicker Liam Boyd (Charlotte), long snapper Nick Duzansky (Oregon), and return man Kenneth Williams (Nebraska). He has also added promising young talent in punter Alex Weeks, who played under assistant special teams coordinator Josh Robinson at Northern Arizona, along with freshman kicker Stephen Gonzales and long snapper Trey Serauskis. Returning players like Chrishon McCray and Braylon Collier are also vying for return duties.
With the new five-in-five eligibility rule eliminating redshirt considerations, Woods has the entire roster at his disposal, allowing him to seek out true 'football players' who can contribute in multiple roles. 'I feel really good about the guys in this room and on this team,' Woods said. 'I can't wait for the rest of the world to see them at some point. It's not going to happen right away, but week one, day one, I feel really good about this group. Their heads are on straight, their minds are in the right place, and they're all looking to develop and move forward.'
Originally reported by yahoo.