Ben VanSumeren feels like he’s back in high school.
After three seasons in Michigan, the linebacker entered the transfer portal on February 12 and had coaches call across the country.
VanSumeren initially planned to take about a month to choose a new school, but the recovery of the recruitment process quickly became obsolete, so he made a decision Friday night and announced his commitment to the state of Michigan on Saturday.
“I think I found the best place,” he said. “I did not think it would suit me better. I think it’s perfect for me. I’m not wasting, I’m ready to go to work and have closed it. ”
Indiana, Arizona, West Virginia, TCU, Northwest, and Missouri, were the other schools that VanSumeren also considered. Going from corn and blue to green and white is not a common occurrence, although former linebacker Michigan State player Edward Warinner transferred to Michigan last January. VanSumeren said Warinner could not welcome any issues and did not believe the side of the rivalry would be a problem for him, even after he became a Michigan fan. However, VanSumeren, a graduate of Essexville Garber High School, knows that some will have a different view.
“I do not find it strange at all,” he said. “It’s a business decision, it’s what I have to do, it’s best for me. I know the media wants to hype it to make it what it is with the rivalry. It is going well with me. I have no problem being the villain. ”
VanSumeren, a former three-star prospect and one-time Iowa commitment, has signed with Michigan’s 2018 recruiting class as a fullback. He appeared as a true rookie in four games while retaining a red shirt, and he had nine runs for 20 yards the following season and had a power play in five games.
After two seasons in the attack in which VanSumeren said that he is used more as an H-back player or tighthead as a true full-back, he moves to the lineout ball. He had seven games this season while playing all six of those games and starting two at the lineout defender.
“The change was originally not as much as you think,” said VanSumeren, who played lineback in high school. ‘I’m a ball player, I was a ball player. I think I caught up pretty quickly. … I think I’m a real linebacker now. My skills are refined and I do not have to have problems getting things right. ”
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has refreshed his staff in the off-season, including defense coordinator Don Brown and replacing former Baltimore Ravens assistant Mike Macdonald. VanSumeren decided to enter the portal when the prospects for his off-line position changed.
“We’re not really using it this year,” he said of Michigan’s defense. ‘It really took me about a week with the new staff to realize that their only plan is to use me to get down specific descents. … I just thought I was an old man. I know what my value is, I know I could choose a place that would give me the opportunity to eat on every basis, and I’m not going to sell myself short. ”
After entering the portal, VanSumeren said the state of Michigan, like most schools, reached out within hours. He chose to stay close to home, but that was not the deciding factor. The goal was to find the right fit and that is with the Spartans.
“It was really a place that would enable me to achieve all my goals – play right away, do my thing as a linebacker,” VanSumeren said. “I felt like I was a linebacker, and they would give me the opportunity to do that. And I like the coaching staff and I trust the guys. I think the program is on the rise. ”
VanSumeren said that since entering the portal, he has been talking to Michigan State coach Mel Tucker every day. The state of Michigan had six transfer additions in January, and VanSumeren is one of three other study transfers committed, but the only linebacker among them all and this is where the Spartans are slim.
Senior Antjuan Simmons was the top linebacker of the team, but did not use the extra season that the NCAA provided to all fall sports athletes and entered the NFL draft. Redshirt junior Noah Harvey, who has started all seven games this season, and redshirt sophomore Chase Kline, who was the top-sub, are the only two linebackers in the team with experience in defense. The state of Michigan also concludes its first season with a 4-2-5 under new defense coordinator Scottie Hazelton.
“They see me fit in one of the innermost places,” VanSumeren said. ‘I think I’m an inside player. They watched my movie, they liked it, they think I’m a fan on the inside. About half of the other schools really saw me as an edge rusher, an outside player, and that was not something I really wanted to do. This is a place that will really give me a place to thrive and do what I feel comfortable doing. ‘
VanSumeren is back home in Bay City, but is still taking lessons in Michigan with the semester scheduled for late April. He plans to enroll at Michigan State in May and is now focused on training.
“It’s just getting my mind right, getting my body right,” VanSumeren said. ‘I’m supposed to meet with the coaches about Zoom and get myself guilty of the playbook. I’ll be ready to come this summer if I tear up and run. ‘
VanSumeren, 6-foot-2 and 250-pound, plans to play at about 245 pounds in the fall. He also believes his speed is overlooked and pointed to the 85 catch shots he had as a receiver in his high school year.
“I do not really like the whole narrative of the converted fullback, it’s not me,” VanSumeren said. “I’m an athlete. I ran a 4.56 (40-yard dash) last spring at £ 250 and I’m just getting faster. I plan to drive a 4.4 before I hit campus in May. ‘
VanSumeren would previously play alongside his younger brother Alex VanSumeren, a four-star defensive suit at Essexville Garber, in 2022. However, a day before VanSumeren entered the portal, Alex disbanded from the Wolverines. There is still a chance they can team up in East Lansing, but the Spartans have enough competition to recruit Alex. VanSumeren said his younger brother is in daily contact with Alabama coaches and that he mentions new teams in the series, including Clemson.
“Really, he’s just going to do his own thing, he’s his own guy,” VanSumeren said. “He has to choose the best fit for him. If it’s MSU, it’s MSU. ”
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