The East versus West 2023 Shrine Bowl was a defensive-dominated game for both teams.
With Frank Bush and Brian Belichick as the defensive coordinators, it’s clear why the game was all defensive.
While no touchdowns were scored, plenty of solid defensive plays were made in Las Vegas.
However, one linebacker was shining in the Vegas lights on defense.
This player is Ben VanSumeren from the Michigan State Spartans.
Michigan State's Ben VanSumeren had a game high 7 tackles at the @ShrineBowl @benvansumeren | #SD4L pic.twitter.com/nJXD2eeJOQ
— SpartanMag.com (@TheSpartanMag) February 4, 2023
His seven tackles during the game led him to have the most tackles out of all defensive players.
No other defensive player brought down the ball carrier like VanSumeren on Thursday night.
While he didn’t get the defensive player of the game award, he still shined brighter than the Vegas lights during the Shrine Bowl.
With him going into the 2023 NFL Draft, his bowl game performance helps raise his draft day stock.
While he wasn’t the only Spartan on the field, he was the one shining the brightest.
His ability to stick with plays not only got him seven tackles but also saw him getting a sack.
The one sack he got on Tommy DeVito during a third-down play gave his team a chance to make a comeback.
With him showing NFL coaches he can make big plays, it helped his NFL Draft stock to see an uptick.
While the draft is two months away, VanSumeren’s performance could help him land in the middle round or higher during the draft.
With him taking the next step in his football career, the former Spartan has impressed fans and coaches along his journey.
NEXT: Spartans Linebacker Looking To Make An Impact At Shrine Bowl
