After a one-year hiatus, Michigan State will be represented again at the premier pre-draft showcase.
A pair of former Spartans – center Matt Gulbin and punter Ryan Eckley – were among the 319 players invited to the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine, the league announced on Wednesday.
The combine will be Feb. 23 through March 2 in Indianapolis.
Michigan State had at least one player selected for the combine every year since 2000 before getting blanked last year.
Gulbin, a graduate transfer from Wake Forest, spent one season with the Spartans and was an ironman. He played every offensive snap over the first 11 games before missing a win against Maryland to close the season due to injury. Gulbin made 34 career starts split between the three interior offensive line positions in 52 games over five seasons.
Eckley was a three-year starter for the Spartans and one of the best punters in the country before forgoing a final season of eligibility to declare for the draft. He was named the Big Ten Punter of the Year last season and was Michigan State’s lone player selected for the Senior Bowl. Eckley, who took a redshirt as a true freshman while learning behind All-American Bryce Baringer, averaged 47.6 yards on 149 punts with 67 of at least 50 yards and 50 downed inside the 20.
Michigan State had only one player drafted each of the last two years and both were offensive linemen as center Nick Samac was picked by the Ravens in the seventh round in 2024 and guard Luke Newman went in the sixth round to the Bears last year. Eckley is looking to become the latest former Spartan punter drafted after Baringer was picked by the Patriots in the sixth round in 2023.
The 2026 NFL draft is April 23-25 in Pittsburgh.