Michigan State football: Bryce Baringer called “generational talent”

Bryce Baringer had a heck of a career with Michigan State football and he was probably the best player on the roster in 2022.

The All-American punter came just shy of taking home all the awards when he was snubbed by the Ray Guy Award in favor of Rutgers’ Adam Korsak. That pick made no sense as Baringer was already dubbed the Big Ten’s punter of the year and made first-team all-conference and was an All-American. Yet somehow the second-best punter in the Big Ten won the award?

OK, I’m going off on a tangent now.

Let’s get back to Baringer being elite.

Baringer dominated at the NFL Combine and was the best punter there and he’s been widely considered the best the 2023 NFL Draft class has to offer.

But one former NFL kicker had the highest praise I’ve seen from him yet.

Nick Novak calls Michigan State football star “generational talent”

Nick Novak spent over a decade in the NFL and made close to 200 career field goals in that span. He’s no stranger to NFL success.

So when he called Baringer a generational talent, it stood out.

This wasn’t just some random draft expert calling Baringer a generational talent, it was an NFL veteran who spent over 10 years in the league, knowing exactly what it takes to succeed at that level. It meant something.

It’s still too early to say if an NFL team is going to spend a draft pick on Baringer, but Mel Kiper Jr. has already said he gives him a fifth-round grade and four punters were selected last year so the chances are good that he hears his name called on Day 3.

Let’s hope this generational talent is in the league for a long, long time.