Michigan State football: 3 second-year players who could become stars in 2023

Mel Tucker landed one of the better recruiting classes that Michigan State football has had over the past decade, or so, in 2022.

Tucker was fresh off an 11-2 season with the Spartans and the incoming crop of freshmen was supposed to help keep the ball rolling. Unfortunately, not enough first-year guys saw the kind of action that would have made a difference, and Michigan State limped to a 5-7 season.

Fortunately, most of this class returns for 2023, and a handful of them are poised to become stars in their second years at Michigan State.

Here are three who I think have the best chance to become stars.

Despite being the top-ranked recruit in the 2022 class for the Spartans, Alex VanSumeren didn’t see the field much last year and a lot of that had to do with need. Plus, I feel like preserving a redshirt was more important than playing him during a lost season.

VanSumeren watched his brother play well at linebacker for the Spartans (for a stint) and soaked in some knowledge from the starting defensive linemen as well as Brandon Jordan.

Now, he has a chance to make some noise on a loaded defensive line and with a good offseason, he could crack that two-deep in the fall as a redshirt freshman.

He has the size and the skillset, he just needs to put it all together to have a monster season for Michigan State in 2023 and beyond. I think he’ll do that.