Michigan State Lands Big-Time Tight End From The Transfer Portal
One of the biggest dominoes in the transfer portal has fallen to Michigan State.
On Monday, former Oregon State tight end Jack Velling announced via social media that he was committed to Michigan State, following head coach Jonathan Smith and tight ends coach Brian Wozniak from Corvallis to East Lansing. He is the second Oregon State player to transfer to MSU, joining freshman quarterback Aidan Chiles.
🟢⚪️ pic.twitter.com/Tw0oIoBDWE
— Jack Velling (@JackVelling) December 18, 2023
Velling was a two-year starter under Smith and Wozniak with the Beavers, and made a big impact in his two seasons in Corvallis. As a true freshman, the 6-foot-4, 241-pounder appeared in nine games compiling 16 catches for 281 yards and three touchdowns. In 2023, Velling had an even bigger sophomore campaign when he went for 438 yards and eight touchdowns on 29 receptions. He'll have two seasons of eligibility remaining at Michigan State.
While this was an expected win for the Spartans, landing Velling is still a big-time addition for MSU. Tight end has been a position that has struggled to produce for Michigan State going back several years, and Velling will help Wozniak and MSU's offensive coaching staff rectify that in Year 1 of this new era. Michigan State lost talented tight end Maliq Carr to the transfer portal this offseason as well, but many consider Velling an upgrade.
As a high school prospect in the class of 2022, Velling was one of those overlooked recruits that thrived under the coaching tutelage of Smith and his staff. Velling was a three-star out of Seattle (Wash.) Prep School, ranked No. 847 overall, the No. 47 tight end and the No. 13 player from the state of Washington in his class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. Velling's production has far exceeded the expectations his recruiting profile generated.
Here's what 247Sports' national recruiting analyst Brandon Huffman had to say about Velling coming out of high school:
He's a traditional tight end, a superb inline blocker who can seal off the edge one play, then jut out and make a catch, run up field, make defenders miss and break tackles, then come back the next play, and bury a defensive end to open up a hole for his running back. He's a natural pass catcher, soft hands that catch everything, he can pluck the ball out of the air, adjust to under and overthrown ball, set himself and stick his foot in the dirt and go. As a blocker, he uses great technique, keeps his feet chopping and can nullify his defender.
Smith and Michigan State will need to add more pieces out of the transfer portal to fill out their 2024 roster, but the coaching staff is off to a great start by landing Chiles and now Velling.
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