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Michigan State football coach LeVar Woods is not happy with an NCAA rule change.
Michigan State special teams coach LeVar Woods is not happy with a recent NCAA rule change surrounding punt formations. He blasted the decision in a preseason press conference.
Unintended consequences, he says, will impact players’ income. Star defender Jordan Hall is included in that bunch.
The new rule restricts how teams line up during punts. Woods says the way it’s currently interpreted, teams must either line up in a 2×2 formation with a guard and tackle on each side of the center wearing ineligible numbers, or, they have to put five ineligible numbers on the punt unit.
The change was designed to help defenses more easily recognize eligible receivers on fakes. The repercussions, Woods insists, will impact financial opportunities.
Michigan State football coach rips NCAA rule change.
“Very unhappy with how it came about, the rule change, who was consulted, who wasn’t consulted,” Woods said. “Coaches weren’t consulted and (the NCAA) tried to ram this thing through in the cloak of darkness in the middle of, you know, like late February, early March.
“People were on spring break, people were getting going their spring practice. A lot of guys, a lot of coaches, head coaches and coordinators had no idea.”
That lack of communication didn’t allow for coordinators to voice concerns. As a result, the potential ramifications were not discussed.
Woods says that jersey changes will be used as a get-around for the rule. Players will wear ineligible numbers during punts before swapping back to their original jerseys for the next play.
The coach believes NIL could be affected.
“Uniform contracts, money – (the rule impacts) a player that’s making money off of his name, image, and likeness” Woods continued. “Jordan Hall is No. 5. He has a deal with somebody in town linked to his wearing No. 5. Well now, sometimes he’s 75, sometimes he’s 77, sometimes he’s 70. Who knows what that’s going to be like?… They didn’t think about the NIL impact.”
Hall was specifically mentioned. The veteran linebacker plays a notable role on both defense and special teams. Last season, he excelled.
Jordan Hall is Michigan State’s top tackler.
He led the team with 88 takedowns a year ago. He also paced the defense in sacks, tackles for loss, and forced fumbles. As a result, he’s become one of the Spartans’ most marketable players in terms of NIL.
Hall has secured local and national brand deals. In his most recent advertisement for Pepsi and Pizza House East Lansing, he is seen donning his No. 5 jersey.
Statistics, too, could be impacted. Keeping track of totals will become more difficult with the constant jersey changes. And as we’ll seen in the past, NIL deals are often directly linked to on-field performance.
Finally, Woods referenced NFL opportunities, the next chance for players to earn a paycheck after exhausting college eligibility. The coach claims that it will be harder for scouts to identify players on game tape if they continuously switch jerseys midgame.
The drawbacks will impact Michigan State football players’ income, according to Woods. He appears unhappy with all aspects of the rule change. For now, he’ll deal with those consequences as best he can. We’ll see if adjustments are made in the months to come.