Sometimes, the most productive transfers aren't the ones that come from other Power Four programs, they actually come from smaller programs in the Group of Five, FCS, and Division II and III. Michigan State football landed the latter on Thursday evening.
After picking up a commitment from Texas Tech transfer Isaac Smith earlier this week, Jonathan Smith cleaned up the roster a bit and then added some quality depth on the defensive line.
On Thursday, Hope College's Jack Lamancusa committed to the Spartans.
Spartans land DE Jack Lamancusa from the portal! Lamancusa is a transfer from Hope College, where he was First Team All-MIAA last season.
— Emmett Matasovsky (@E_Matasovsky57) April 24, 2025
He has three years of eligibility left. He also recorded 4 sacks last season.
Congrats and welcome to East Lansing, Jack!! https://t.co/iXCWGqCnnb
Lamancusa played 12 games with Hope last season as a freshman, recording 43 total tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks, making the All-MIAA first team.
Obviously the level of play is much lower at Hope College and we shouldn't expect that production to translate at Michigan State right away. I mean, Hope is a Division III program and he doesn't have crazy size at 6-foot-2 and 250 pounds, but as long as he works hard and earns a spot on the depth chart, he could become a problem for opposing offenses for years to come.
The freshman defensive lineman is a local kid who played high school ball at Rockford (Mich.) and is from Comstock Park, Mich. He likely grew up watching Michigan State so this move makes sense. The Spartans need some defensive line help and Lamancusa will provide that.
The Spartans lost James Schott to the transfer portal earlier this offseason and Khris Bogle left for the NFL Draft so the need for some help up front is critical.
Will Lamancusa help right away? That remains to be seen, but it looks like Michigan State may have landed a diamond in the rough.