Jordan Hall Speaks on Alex VanSumeren’s Departure to USC

On Wednesday, Michigan State football got their turn on the podium for Big Ten Media days. Pat Fitzgerald got his ‘welcome back’ moment to the Big Ten, bringing along Jordan Hall, Nikai Martinez, and Alessio Milivojevic with him to preview the season and open up about their offseason. Longtime Spartan Alex VanSumeren was also in Chicago for Big Ten Media Days, but this time, the Bay City native was representing USC on Tuesday.

The run-stuffing defensive tackle was one of the biggest losses for the Spartans this portal cycle, in both size and team impact. VanSumeren has stuck around the program since the Mel Tucker era, joining as a four-star in 2022. He missed time with injury, but stuck around and was a fixture of the Jonathan Smith era. However, this offseason, VanSumeren hit the portal for pastures anew. It was hard to blame the defensive tackle.

During his media session on Tuesday, VanSumeren was open about the transfer, discussing how it was a decision that his circle had decided was the best course of action.

“I would say, I’m very fortunate for my time at Michigan State,” VanSumeren said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. But I would say, the biggest thing is just the coaches, and the people, you know, like a Coach Riley, in the program. It’s a tradition-rich program. Everyone knows USC football. I couldn’t, you know, turn down this opportunity to play with these teammates and this program.”

Overall, VanSumeren was grateful for his time at Michigan State, and even admitted that he had placed thought into entering the NFL Draft. However, at the end of the day, VanSumeren had to make the decision best for himself. The world of football and window to play is not long, and the best opportunity for the two-year starter was with the Trojans.

Hall Cannot Fault His Former Teammate

Hall spoke candidly with Spartan Shadows about the VanSumeren departure, with the Spartan leader being very complimentary of VanSumeren. The effort, blood, sweat, and tears that the defensive tackle gave to the program had Hall giving VanSumeren the title of a Spartan.

When discussing what a Spartan means to Hall, the linebacker brought up his former teammate, unprompted, for the definition.

“How they are determines on the kind of taste that the school and they player leaves in each other’s mouths,” Hall explained. “Like, I have no faults for guys like Alex VanSumeren, who came there, who came here and he laid his all out on the field every single year. And a better opportunity that he thought posed itself for himself. So guys like that, I don’t fault for it. When you leave everything that you have on the table for the green and white. That’s how I sum it (being a Spartan) up.”

Overall, Hall’s words have merit. VanSumeren stuck around for longer than any other player in the program, with him and Malik Spencer being among the very few class of 2022 players in the green and white in 2025. None of those players suffered as many setbacks as VanSumeren.

While college football has shifted towards a more transactional approach, there is a reason it was hard to find people faulting AVS for his decision to transfer. The leader and heartbeat for Michigan State football in 2026 summed it up perfectly. Alex VanSumeren left it all on the table for the green and white.