Geno VanDeMark is transferring to a new school to play on a familiar team.
On Saturday, the former Michigan State redshirt junior starting right guard revealed his decision to transfer to Alabama via social media. This reunites him with offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, who previously spent four seasons with the Spartans and is now in his first year with the Crimson Tide.
VanDeMark, who measures 6-foot-5 and weighs 329 pounds, has earned eight starts at right guard for the Spartans in the last two seasons. He entered the portal on April 30, his second time in five months, and has two seasons of eligibility remaining.
VanDeMark, a former three-star prospect from New Jersey, did not play and instead took a redshirt as a true freshman in 2021. He made two starts in ten games the next season and six starts in eight games last year, missing four games due to an unexplained injury.
VanDeMark received many offers after joining the portal in November and stated that he made one official visit to the school, but refuses to disclose it. During Michigan State’s final spring practice on April 20 under first-year coach Jonathan Smith, he served as the starting right guard.
“It’s fast and crazy, man,” VanDeMark said in March about his initial term with the portal. “That’s crazy. I met some nice coaches, saw some great things, and returned home.”
After spring practice concluded, 17 scholarship athletes on Michigan State’s roster accessed the site. VanDeMark is one of seven players from that group to choose their next school, joining starting defensive tackles Derrick Harmon (Oregon) and Simeon Barrow (Miami), offensive tackles Ethan Boyd (Colorado) and Braden Miller (Cal), defensive end Bai Jobe (Kansas), and running back Jaren Mangham (Minnesota).
After taking over the Spartans in November, Smith retained only one on-field assistant from prior coach Mel Tucker’s staff: Courtney Hawkins, the receivers coach. Kapilovic was hired by Baylor in December, but he left in February to join Alabama after Kalen DeBoer succeeded Nick Saban.
