For the first time since 2024, Michigan State football is sending a player to the NFL Combine.
In 2024, it was Nick Samac who represented the Spartans at the Combine, and he found his way onto an NFL roster. The Spartans were unrepresented in 2025, but this year, Michigan State has two NFL Combine invitees.
According to an NFL release, two Michigan State players will be in Indianapolis later this month for the 2026 NFL Combine which takes place from Feb. 23 through March 2.
Those two Spartans are none other than Ryan Eckley and Matt Gulbin.
Eckley was one of the best punters in the country this past season and Gulbin was the Spartans’ best transfer, dominating in the trenches. Both guys earned this spot and it’s not shocking to see them headed to the combine, but I was a little surprised to see no mention of Omari Kelly or Jack Velling. It felt like those two guys earned NFL Combine invites, but there’s only so much room at the event.
Gulbin was a legit All-Big Ten-caliber center and Eckley was one of the best punters in the country throughout his Michigan State career.
The invites make sense.
Ryan Eckley and Matt Gulbin will be missed
Seeing Eckley and Gulbin receive invites to the combine really cements the notion that they’re not coming back. Some were hopeful that Eckley would be back for one last season, but he decided to forgo his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL draft, and he’s likely to have a nice, long career.
Gulbin, too, is going to be just fine in the league after being one of the nation’s top centers this past season, and I can see him carving out a long career as well.
Both players kind of got overlooked because of the Michigan State team they played on, but that could be said for a lot of Spartans over the past four years.
Eckley is going to try and become the next Bryce Baringer who just played in the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots, and Gulbin will attempt to become the next Luke Newman, going from overlooked at Michigan State to a legit NFL offensive lineman on a division title-winner’s 53-man roster.
There’s now a reason for Michigan State fans to tune into this year’s combine.