Michigan State lands All-Big Ten Iowa punter Rhys Dakin in transfer portal
All-conference punter, Rhys Dakin, joins the Spartans after two seasons with Iowa, as he follows his special teams coordinator LeVar Woods.
Michigan State has received a commitment from former Iowa punter Rhys Dakin, he announced on Instagram on Sunday. He was on campus in East Lansing this weekend.
Dakin, an incoming junior from Melbourne, Australia, spent his first two seasons as a Hawkeye. He will have two years of eligibility left.
Dakin follows his special teams coordinator, LeVar Woods, to Michigan State. Woods recently joined MSU as both special teams coordinator and assistant head coach. After spending his entire coaching career at Iowa, his new role with the Spartans was officially announced on Jan. 2, 2026.
With the departure of the Big Ten Punter of the Year, Ryan Eckley, who will pursue the 2026 NFL Draft, Michigan State needed a new punter, especially an experienced one. The Spartans found just that Dakin.
Dakin brings experience and talent to the Spartans, as he punted 106 times over his two seasons at Iowa with an average of 43.9 yards per punt. He was able to pin teams inside the 20-yard line 47 times during his career as well. His career long punt is 65 yards,
Dakins' average of 43.6 yards during 2025 was good enough for seventh in the Big Ten for the year.
During his Iowa career, Dakin is a two-time recipient of All-Big Ten honors, earning honorable mention accolades from the media in 2025, and second-team (media), second-team and third-team (coaches) All-Big Ten honors (Associated Press) in 2024.