Michigan State Football: Jayden Reed snubbed as All-Big Ten returner

Jayden Reed has had a great season as a returner for Michigan State football. Yet he somehow was a first-team All-Big Ten returner.

The Big Ten released its All-Big Ten defensive and special teams units and there was one noticeable omission from the latter.

Jayden Reed was not selected as the return specialist of the year.

While that might be fair because the conference has some impressive return men, the winner of the award did not put up the kind of numbers that Reed did.

No, in fact, Iowa’s Charlie Jones didn’t have a single punt return touchdown and he returned one kick for a score. Reed, on the other hand, had two punt return touchdowns and one arguably won the Spartans a game against Nebraska.

Jones finished the season with one return touchdown and averaged 8.2 yards per punt return. Reed had two return touchdowns and averaged 21.3 yards per punt return.

Reed averaged 13 more yards per punt return and just three fewer yards per kick return and had one more return score and yet didn’t get the return specialist of the year award. That’s wild.

And Jones was more of a returner than he was a receiver, catching just 19 catches for 282 yards and three touchdowns while Reed wore multiple hats and led the Spartans with 53 catches for 946 yards and eight scores. There’s something to be said about that, too.

Reed was named an honorable mention All-Big Ten special teams player, but he was arguably the best returner in the conference.

Michigan State football had multiple All-Big Ten selections

Besides Reed being named an honorable mention special teams player on Tuesday, a handful of other Spartans received recognition as well.

• Mel Tucker was named Big Ten Coach of the Year
• Reed (special teams), Jacub Panasiuk, and Bryce Baringer were named to All-Big Ten second team
• Xavier Henderson and Jacob Slade were named to All-Big Ten third team
• Quavaris Crouch, Darius Snow, Cal Haladay, and Matt Coghlin were all honorable mentions

Not bad for a defense that struggled for most of the season.