With LeVar Woods now steering the ship as Michigan State’s Special Teams and Assistant Head Coach, it didn’t take long to see where the Spartans are putting their focus. Special teams aren’t just getting a facelift-they’re getting a full-on identity shift. And the latest move makes that crystal clear.
Enter Kenneth Williams, a dynamic kick returner and running back who’s transferring in from Nebraska. The Detroit native is coming home, and he’s bringing serious juice to East Lansing.
Williams made his mark in Lincoln over the past two seasons, carving out a reputation as one of the Big Ten’s most electric return men. At 5-foot-9 and 190 pounds, he’s not the biggest guy on the field-but when the ball’s in his hands, he’s a problem. In 2025, he played in all 12 games for the Cornhuskers, taking over as their primary kickoff returner and quickly becoming a field-position weapon.
He racked up 395 yards on just 12 returns-good for an eye-popping average of nearly 33 yards per return. That kind of production doesn’t just flip the field-it flips momentum.
His highlight moment came against Northwestern, when he took the second-half kickoff 95 yards to the house. It was Nebraska’s first kickoff return touchdown since 2017, and it was the kind of play that makes you sit up in your seat.
But Williams isn’t just a one-phase player. He chipped in on offense too, logging five carries for 22 yards and catching a 20-yard pass. While those numbers don’t leap off the page, they show his versatility-and give Michigan State another option out of the backfield if needed.
His efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Williams earned Second Team All-Big Ten honors from the media as a return specialist, while Big Ten coaches named him to the Third Team. He also picked up a Co-Special Teams Player of the Week nod and landed on the Nebraska Scholar-Athlete Honor Roll, showing he’s getting it done in the classroom as well.
Now, with multiple years of eligibility left, Williams returns to his home state ready to make an immediate impact. For Michigan State, this is more than just a transfer-it’s a statement.
Woods and the Spartans are clearly building a special teams unit that can swing games, not just manage them. Field position, hidden yardage, momentum-shifting returns-those aren’t just buzzwords in East Lansing anymore.
They’re part of the blueprint.
Williams is the latest piece of that puzzle, and if his past production is any indication, he’s ready to bring some fireworks to Spartan Stadium.