There is yet another development on the punting front for Michigan State.
Last year, Bryce Baringer placed his name into the NCAA transfer database. As we noted this week, Baringer pulled his name out of the portal, an indication that the punter has decided to remain as part of the Michigan State football team.
Around the same time, MSU released an updated roster. Conspicuously absent was the name of Jack Bouwmeester. A Michigan State official subsequently confirmed that Bouwmeester has returned to his native Australia. No reason was given for that development. It’s unclear at this point whether the move is permanent or temporary.
Whether related or not to Bouwmeester’s departure, Mitchell Crawford confirmed Tuesday to mlive.com that he has received a scholarship offer from Michigan State. Crawford, also an Aussie, would be leaving UTEP as a graduate transfer. That would allow him to use his final year of eligibility with the Spartans.
In two seasons with the Miners, Crawford averaged 39.7 yards on his 134 punts. Of those, 29 landed inside the 20-yard line. In 2018, the Queensland native earned honorable mention All-Conference USA honors.
Baringer began his collegiate career at Illinois. After taking a redshirt as a true freshman in 2017, Baringer transferred to Michigan State prior to the start of the 2018 season. Because of injuries that year to the two punters ahead of him on the depth chart, Baringer played in four games. In that action, he averaged 32.4 yards on 15 punts. Four of those punts landed inside the 20-yard line.
Baringer and Crawford are now two of four punters currently on the Michigan State roster. The others are redshirt junior walk-on Tyler Hunt and redshirt freshman walk-on Evan Morris. Hunt was the second of the two punters injured during that 2018 season. Hunt, who replaced the injured starter Jake Hartbarger that year, started five games, punting 36 times for an average of 40.1 yards per.
