Alex VanSumeren Discusses Decommitment From Michigan

Michigan's 2022 class is down to five members after the decommiment of defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren.

Yesterday afternoon, Essexville (Mich.) Garber 2022 defensive tackle Alex VanSumeren announced on Twitter that he would be decommitting from Michigan.

Although I will always be grateful for the opportunity, I am no longer committed to the University of Michigan. My recruitment is open. #thegrindneverstops @AllenTrieu @JoshHelmholdt @TomVH

— Alex VanSumeren (@alexvansumeren) February 12, 2021

The 6-3, 285-pounder had been committed to Michigan since December of 2019 but decided that he'd like to open things up and experience the process a bit more.

No decommitment is ever really surprising in the world of recruiting but there are certainly a lot of reasons why VanSumeren to Michigan made sense. Obviously he committed early indicating that the urge to play for the Wolverines was strong and had likely been present since childhood with him being an in-state kid. He also has an older brother, Ben, on the Michigan roster — for now. With all of that working in Michigan's favor, I found myself curious about why he decided to open things back up.

Obviously Michigan had a lot of staff turnover recently, but VanSumeren's potential position coach Shaun Nua is still in Ann Arbor. Defensive coordinator Don Brown is out, as is his scheme, but for a defensive tackle that's not the biggest deal in the world. Still, I felt the need to ask VanSumeren what went into his decision. 

I asked him if the changes on staff played a part. I asked if Nua and the rest of the staff decided to go a different direction. I asked if Nua specifically changed his mind about the fit. And I also inquired about his brother's potential transfer even though nothing has happened on that front yet. Alex was very gracious and opened up about his choice.

"It was my decision only," VanSumeren said. "It was a tough decision, but I believe the right one. I have nothing but respect for Coach Nua."

I always wonder a bit if the answers surrounding a decommitment are political, but VanSumeren has no reason to sugarcoat. Either way, the end result is the same. He's no longer committed to Michigan and will likely end up elsewhere. It's rare for a decommit to opt back into the class, but VanSumeren said he's not ruling anything out and will still be considering the Wolverines moving forward.