Michigan State Football: 4-star DL Alex VanSumeren needs to be priority No. 1

There are a number of impressive players left on Michigan State football’s 2022 recruiting board and despite filling another spot on Saturday, there’s one name that stands out as the top priority.

Alex VanSumeren took an official visit to East Lansing last weekend and finally got to meet Mel Tucker and the new staff after de-committing from Michigan and developing a relationship with the Spartans from a distance. It didn’t hurt that Tucker also reeled in his older brother, Ben, who played a few seasons at Michigan and hit the portal this offseason.

Landing Ben may have helped to put Michigan State in that top group with Clemson and Penn State and who knows if Tucker would be there without the addition of Alex’s brother.

On VanSumeren’s official visit last weekend, he enjoyed himself and it was a great first impression for him and his family. Plus, he got to troll the school to which he was formerly committed.

You could say he won a lot of Michigan State fans over with this picture and it seems like he has the right attitude. He knows how much that trophy means to the Spartans and you have to love the fact that Mel Tucker let recruits use Paul Bunyan in their photoshoots.

Trolling picture aside, VanSumeren had the red carpet rolled out for him and there’s a good reason for that: he needs to be priority No. 1 for the staff.

VanSumeren would be Tucker’s first “big fish” in 2022

In the 2021 class, Tucker made a splash with Ma’a Gaoteote being flipped from USC on National Signing Day. That was his first true “big fish” as Michigan State’s head coach — although you could argue that Geno VanDeMark was or even Audric Estime (before he decommitted).

We have yet to see him land that “big fish” in the 2022 class and VanSumeren would be just that. Sure, getting a guy like Nicco Marchiol or Katin Houser at quarterback would be huge and would dominate headlines for a while, but VanSumeren would instantly become a lead recruiter for the class and assume the role of leader for the young group.

Every class has an outspoken prospect who likes to lead by example as well as verbally and who helps recruit other players (Marchiol could also be that guy) and VanSumeren would do just that.

Not only is he a prospect who could set off a domino effect for MSU’s 2022 class, but he is also a dominant defensive tackle who’s ranked the No. 180 overall prospect in the nation by the 247Sports Composite.

Tucker needs to win this one over Clemson and Penn State and after his official visit, the second-year coach is in good shape.