Michigan State's Bryce Baringer named Big Ten Punter of the Year, Ray Guy finalist

Michigan State didn’t have the season it was hoping for, but it didn’t keep punter Bryce Baringer from an award-winning year.

On Tuesday, the gradate senior was named the Big Ten’s Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year. He was also named first-team All-Big Ten by the coaches to become the first Spartan punter to earn first-team all-conference honors since Mike Sadler in 2012 and 2013.

Baringer leads the FBS in punting with a 49-yard average, which is currently a Michigan State single-season record and the second-best average in Big Ten history. Michigan State also ranks No. 1 in the FBS in net punting (45.5-yard average) as Baringer has only four touchbacks this season while placing 22 of his 50 punts (44%) inside the 20, including eight inside the 10.

The sixth-year graduate senior also has a Big Ten-best 24 punts of 50-plus yards (48%), including 10 of 60-plus yards.

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Also on Tuesday, Baringer was named one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award given each season to the nation’s top punter. The winner will be announced Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. on ESPN. Cincinnati’s Mason Fletcher and Rutgers’ Adam Korsak are the two other finalists.

Other Spartans honored

Redshirt sophomore linebacker Cal Haladay was named second-team All-Big Ten by the coaches and the media on Tuesday. Haladay leads the Big Ten and ranks 10th in FBS with 120 tackles, a career best and the most by a Spartan since Greg Jones had 154 in 2009.

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Redshirt sophomore defensive tackle Simeon Barrow and fifth-year senior defensive tackle Jacob Slade both were named honorable mention by the coaches and the media while fifth-year senior safety Xavier Henderson was named honorable mention by the media.

Fifth-year senior Jayden Reed was named third-team All-Big Ten as a return specialist by the coaches and honorable mention by the media. Reed declared for the NFL Draft on Sunday.

mcharboneau@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @mattcharboneau