Essexville (Mich.) Garber four-star defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren is the highest rated commit in the Michigan Wolverines' 2022 football recruiting class, checking in as the No. 182 overall player in the nation.
If his last name sounds familiar, it's because he's the younger brother of current Michigan redshirt sophomore linebacker Ben VanSumeren, who served as a consistent contributor in U-M's linebacking rotation this past season.
Alex VanSumeren helped lead his Dukes squad to a 7-2 record this past year, with one of those seven victories coming in particularly thrilling fashion. Garber took down Bridgeport by a final score of 24-22 Sept. 25, with the game not concluding until two overtime sessions had been played.
Bridgeport head coach Kevin Marshall was kind enough to swing by and share his thoughts on the U-M commit who resides near the geographical region of the state of Michigan's thumb.
“Garber used him at both defensive tackle and defensive end against us," Marshall recalled. "He actually played a little bit of fullback as well. I think defensive tackle will be his best fit in college though, because it will keep him away from the edge at the next level.
"He has the motor you need to play on the interior, which will always make defensive tackle a perfect spot for him.”
Marshall admitted his Bridgeport team tried to stay away from VanSumeren when the Bearcats were on offense, though the 6-2, 300-pounder was nevertheless able to make his presence felt.
VanSumeren consistently caused havoc, per Marshall, and while the Bridgeport head man didn't necessarily see any flaws in the four-star's game, he did single out one area that may potentially have to improve significantly before the youngster gets to college.
