Former Michigan linebacker Ben VanSumeren transfers to Michigan State
MSU head coach Mel Tucker in the MSU football weight room/ Photo Credit: MSU Athletic Communications
February 20, 2021
EAST LANSING— On Saturday, Mel Tucker and the Michigan State Spartans received a commitment from Michigan transfer linebacker Ben VanSumeren. A Michigan native, VanSumeren played his high school ball at Essexville Garber.
— Ben VanSumeren (@primetimedunkin) February 20, 2021
VanSumeren joined the Wolverines as the No. 624 ranked player in the 2018 class with a 0.8709 composite rating from 247Sports. His transfer announcement came just mere hours after his brother Alex decommitted from Michigan. Tucker and the Spartans are considered one of the top options for the younger VanSumeren, who is a 2022 recruit.
Before committing to Michigan, VanSumeren was at one point committed to Iowa. He joined the Wolverines as a tight end and played fullback and running back before moving to linebacker in 2020.
Overall, VanSumeren appeared in 15 games for the Wolverines, including two starts. He registered eight career tackles and ran for 20 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore.
In addition to Michigan and Iowa, VanSumeren was offered out of high school by Cincinnati, Iowa State and a plethora of MAC schools, among others. He was recruited by schools such as Indiana, West Virginia and Arizona during his time in the portal.
VanSumeren is the eighth scholarship transfer that Tucker has landed in the 2021 transfer cycle. He will provide some much-needed depth to a linebacker position that returns only two players with consistent playing experience, Noah Harvey and Chase Kline.
