Michigan wide receiver Giles Jackson has entered the transfer portal. Jackson went through a surgery this off-season after his second year in a Wolverines uniform.
A member of the class of 2019, I gave Jackson a TTB Rating of 75 (LINK) and he ended up as a 76.
Hit the jump for more.
read moreNormally I wouldn’t devote a whole post to the commitment of a former Michigan Wolverine to another school, but this one is special. Because former Michigan fullback/running back/linebacker Ben VanSumeren committed to transfer to the Michigan State Spartans.
Is it okay to dislike VanSumeren now?
Yes. Yes, it is.
Sports are built around rivalries and competition, and VanSumeren could have gone to 127 other programs without much of an issue, anywhere except Michigan State or Ohio State. Instead, he chose to go to the in-state rival. It’s understandable to an extent that an in-state kid (VanSumeren is from Garber High School in Essexville, MI) would want to stay close to home, but if you’re truly a proponent of the University of Michigan, you don’t transfer to Michigan State or Ohio State.
VanSumeren was a man without a position in Ann Arbor. He should have been a fullback, except Michigan basically got rid of that position with the hiring of offensive coordinator Josh Gattis in 2019. Michigan tried him at running back, but 9 carries for 20 yards and 1 touchdown didn’t show much. Michigan tried him at linebacker (7 tackles in 2020), but he was lost. Maybe he would have been better if he hadn’t played three different positions in three seasons.
I don’t wish ill upon Ben VanSumeren or his family, but I do hope he loses every remaining game of his college career.
To discuss this post, head on over to touchthebanner.blogspot.com.
Michigan quarterback Joe Milton is no longer Michigan quarterback Joe Milton. He has chosen to enter the transfer portal.
Milton was a class of 2018 recruit ranked as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #9 pro-style quarterback, and #204 overall. I gave him a TTB Rating of 88 (LINK).
Hit the jump for more.
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Michigan linebacker Ben VanSumeren has entered the transfer portal. He would have been a fourth-year player in the fall of 2021, having signed in the class of 2018.
VanSumeren signed with Michigan as a future fullback. But with the move to the spread offense in 2019, essentially eliminating much use of a traditional fullback position, VanSumeren was a man without a position. He spent some time at running back in 2019 and then moved to linebacker in 2020. He did not have much success at either spot. VanSumeren ran 9 times for 20 yards and 1 touchdown in 2019. Then he made 7 tackles in 2020.
Perhaps the most painful part of VanSumeren’s departure is that his younger brother, 2022 defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren, was committed to the Wolverines and then rescinded his pledge a few days ago (LINK).
Michigan now has seen four class of 2018 signees transfer, including VanSumeren, TE Mustapha Muhammad, RB Christian Turner, and CB Myles Sims.
Essexville (MI) Garber defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren decommitted from Michigan on Thursday night. He is currently ranked as a 247 Composite 4-star, the #16 defensive tackle, and #223 overall.
Here’s my commitment post for him (LINK).
This is kind of a big deal to lose a 4-star defensive tackle recruit, but Michigan just signed a few defensive tackles in the 2021 class. It’s unclear whether that factored in or not, but it’s also noteworthy that VanSumeren’s older brother, Ben, is rumored to be on the verge of transferring from Michigan. VanSumeren has bounced around between fullback, running back, and linebacker in college, and his future seems uncertain.
Michigan still has five commitments remaining in the 2022 class, including River Rouge (MI) River Rouge defensive tackle Davonte Miles.