Michigan State football has seen countless players from last year's team enter the transfer portal. Some of those losses weren't that significant, but one transfer in particular was a huge loss for MSU.
That loss is Geno VanDeMark, who entered the transfer portal on April 30. VanDeMark played in eight games last season including six starts and was set to become a starter on the Michigan State offensive line this year.
A return to MSU never really felt like a realistic option for VanDeMark, and that feeling came true on Saturday when he announced where he will play college football next season.
BREAKING: Former Michigan State OL Geno VanDeMark has Committed to Alabama, he tells @on3sports
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) May 11, 2024
The 6’5 320 OL will have 2 years of eligibility remaining
Played in 18 games for the Spartanshttps://t.co/oylStFfur9 pic.twitter.com/eNS8tWG85K
VanDeMark has committed to Alabama, and in all honesty this news really surprised me. Is VanDeMark a good player? Absolutely. But is he good enough to be a reliable lineman at a powerhouse SEC program like Alabama? I'm not so sure.
But after thinking about this commitment a little longer, it really does make a lot of sense. Former Michigan State offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, who was at MSU the entire Mel Tucker era, is the new offensive line coach at Alabama, so it does make sense for him to go after VanDeMark. They obviously have a close relationship already and know how to work well with each other, so maybe this news isn't all that surprising.
I'll be curious to see if this move works out for VanDeMark or not. Like I said before, I'm not so sure if his talent is quite at the level that Alabama is used to seeing on their offensive line, but maybe he'll be able to get there by the time the season rolls around.
Even though I was very frustrated seeing VanDeMark leave Michigan State, I do still hope it works out for him at Alabama.