Who's Taking Reps at Punt Return for MSU?

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Aidan Champion | Last updated Aug 1, 2025 3:17 PM ET

With fall camp, the big chatter is position battles and who we're going to see take the field first in that season opener.

But what's just as important are your punt and kick returners, as those plays on special teams can be the difference in a close game.

Fortunately for Michigan State, with punt return in particular, it has a lot of options.

One of them is transfer senior wide receiver Omari Kelly, who was a second-team all-conference punt returner at Middle Tennessee State last season. He averaged 10.4 yards returned off punts.

The Spartans have him repping punt returns right now, just as they did in the spring.

"It's me, Nick Marsh, Chrishon (McCray), Braylon Collier, Charles Taplin," Kelly said on Thursday. "We've all been rotating, just getting reps, just catching punts."

Mind you, there could be more, but those were the names Kelly listed.

While it may seem simple, there's much that goes into being a good punt returner, just as with any position.

"Awareness and great decision-making," Kelly said. "I feel like if you're back there and you're kind of nervous or you're second-guessing, it's not going to go good."

Kelly, surprisingly, said returning punts is "more fun" than catching the ball as a wide receiver.

"Just because the adrenaline rush you get is different."

But that doesn't always mean it goes the way you would like.

"I can say last season, when I was at Middle Tennessee, it was one ball that bounced to me, and I probably shouldn't have got it, but I got it and got hit pretty hard. So, that's a learning experience."

Kelly tries not to think too heavily about what to do when he sees a swarm of defenders in his path when he catches a return.

"Run," he said. "That's the only thing you can think, really. Because if you think too much, you're not going to know what to do with it."

Kelly was also a first-team All-Conference USA wide receiver for Middle Tennessee last season. He is expected to be one of several vital weapons for junior quarterback Aidan Chiles this season.

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