Mel Tucker, Michigan State Add Mark Vassett Australian Punter
Michigan State special teams coach Ross Els may have found his punter of the future last week when Michigan State received the commitment from Australian punter Mark Vassett on Thursday.
Vassett recently spoke with Spartan Nation about his commitment to the Spartans and said that Els was very helpful to him throughout the process and already feels welcomed to the program.
“I’ve been in contact with Coach Els; he has been awesome throughout this whole process! He is obviously new to the program as well, but he told me about some of the key values that they stand for, and I feel like I fit that criteria. We had a great phone call and have been messaging each other a lot. He has made me feel welcome even long before arriving.”
Vassett continued and said that while he hasn’t been to the United States before, he has done a good amount of work on learning about the college game and is looking forward to getting started with the Spartans.
“I have never stepped foot in the United States so a lot about the college system will be new to me, but from what I have researched and heard off of others, it will be the most amazing place to spend the next four years of my life.
“Can’t wait to get started.”
Going into this season, the Spartans have graduate transfer Mark Crawford set to handle the punting duties in 2020, but the position is less clear after this year. Redshirt juniors Brice Baringer and Tyler Hunt, as well as redshirt freshman Evan Morris, are also on the roster.
The Spartans also had Australian punter Jack Bouwmeester as a part of the 2019 recruiting class, but after spending one year with Michigan State, he chose to return to Australia.
Vassett, who trains with Prokick in Australia, said that his coaches have worked with him when it comes to learning the ins and outs of the college game and has also had the opportunity to talk with punters who have experience of playing in college.
“My coaches at Prokick do a great job teaching us about the college system, they’re always in contact with past Prokick guys in the college system and are always sharing their stories and experiences with the current group.
“I always try to ask a lot of questions and watch as much film as I can.”
Vassett also added that he’s excited to get started in East Lansing and noted that he is happy to see all of his hard work pay off.
“Excitement levels are sky-high, it’s still surreal to me that this is happening, hard work got me here so I’ll just continue to work hard to prepare myself as much as possible.”
With Vassett set to join the Spartans ahead of next season, he said that he feels his strengths are his power and accuracy but said he’s still working to improve and hopes to play professionally one day.
“Definitely, the power and accuracy of my punting is a strength of mine. Always trying to improve every aspect of my game, I want to play professionally one day, but understand I’ve got a lot of hard work ahead of me to reach that goal.”
Here is the complete list of Mel Tucker's committed 2021 class:
- Tyson Watson Defensive End Warren, MI
- Ethan Boyd Offensive Tackle East Lansing, MI
- Davion Primm Running Back Oak Park, MI
- Derrick Harmon Defensive Tackle Detroit, MI
- Hampton Fay Quarterback Fort Worth, TX
- Kevin Wigenton Guard Princeton, NJ
- Gabe Nealy Safety Miami, FL
- Charles Brantley Cornerback Venice, FL
- Antoine Booth Cornerback Hyattsville, MD
- Kameron Allen Tight End North Forney, TX
- Michael Gravely, Jr. Safety Cleveland, OH
- Mark Vassett Punter Melbourne, Australia
The Spartans kick off the season on September 5, 2020. They will be hosting in the Northwestern Wildcats with a rare, season-opening Big Ten game.
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