Tag: Anelu Lafaele

Wisconsin top freshman edge rusher transfers to a Big Ten rival

Wisconsin top freshman edge rusher transfers to a Big Ten rival

Wisconsin transfer outside linebacker Anelu Lafaele committed to Michigan State on Sunday.

The former four-star recruit joins a growing list of former Badgers to find new transfer destinations, joining outside linebacker Leon Lowery (Illinois), cornerback Amare Snowden and safety Braedyn Moore (Toledo), CB Jonas Duclona (South Florida), S Justin Taylor (Wyoming) and tight end Riley Nowakowski (Indiana).

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Lafaele entered the portal last week after one year with the Badgers. He was one of the highest-rated commits in the program’s class of 2024. He was the No. 601 overall player in the class and the No. 27 edge rusher.

The Hawaii native did not see the field as a true freshman and transferred out with four years of eligibility remaining. He is one of four members of Wisconsin’s class of 2024 to depart, joining CB Xavier Lucas, defensive lineman Hank Weber and quarterback Mabrey Mettauer.

Lafaele joins a Michigan State program that went 5-7 under first-year coach Jonathan Smith in 2024. Smith is working to return the Spartans to the level of success they sustained during the 2010s — just as Luke Fickell is trying to do at Wisconsin.

The Badgers will face Lafaele when they host the Spartans in 2026. Wisconsin is likely to have new faces at edge rusher by that date because seniors Darryl Peterson, Aaron Witt and Mason Reiger (transfer) are poised to lead the room in 2025. Rising junior Sebastian Cheeks and class of 2024 signees Thomas Heiberger and Ernest Willor Jr. appear next in line at the position. Lafaele would have competed for snaps with that second group. Now, he’ll be on the opposing sideline looking to rush the Badgers’ quarterback.

For more on where former Badgers are headed, including several to Big Ten destinations, bookmark our 2024 transfer portal departure tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes and opinion.

Michigan State football lands Big Ten defensive line transfer

A Big Ten defensive end transfer has chosen Michigan State

Michigan State football has earned the third commitment of the day on Sunday when the Spartans gained the commitment of a fellow Big Ten transfer.

Anelu Lafaele has made the move to commit to Michigan State. Lafaele was a 4-star recruit in the 2024 recruiting class, who chose Wisconsin but had a relationship with the Michigan State staff during the process.

That relationship paid off and the 6-foot-2, 240-pound defensive end from Honolulu, Hawaii will be a Spartan after leaving Madison.

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes, and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on Twitter @Cory_Linsner

Report: Wisconsin freshman pass-rusher, former blue-chip recruit enters NCAA transfer portal

Wisconsin lost a second freshman to the transfer portal

Wisconsin freshman outside linebacker Anelu Lafaele is entering the transfer portal, according to 247Sports’ Brandon Huffman.

Lafaele joined the Badgers as a four-star recruit in the class of 2024. He is the program’s 20th scholarship player to enter the portal since the 2024 season concluded.

Related: Wisconsin football 2024 transfer portal departure tracker

Notably, Lafaele is the second member of the Badgers’ top-ranked class of 2024 to exit, joining three-star defensive lineman Hank Weber. The talented pass-rusher signed with the program as the No. 601 player in the class, the No. 27 edge rusher and the No. 3 recruit from his home state of Hawaii. He chose the Badgers over finalists Arizona State, Hawaii and Washington, doing so in unique and memorable fashion.

Lafaele redshirted in 2024 as veterans Leon Lowery, John Pius, Darryl Peterson and Aaron Witt led the Badgers at the position. Peterson, Witt and rising junior Sebastian Cheeks are all back for 2024, in addition to incoming transfer Mason Reiger. Fellow freshmen Thomas Heiberger and Ernest Willor Jr. will also attempt to grow into prominent roles on the depth chart.

Lafaele’s recruiting profile put him with the program’s top young talent at the position. He will look to fulfill that potential elsewhere, transferring out with four years of eligibility remaining.

For more who Wisconsin has lost to the portal and where those players are headed, bookmark our transfer departure tracker.

Contact/Follow @TheBadgersWire on X (formerly Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Wisconsin Badgers news, notes, and opinion.

WATCH: Four-star EDGE Anelu Lafaele commits to Wisconsin with an all-time video

Wisconsin is the benefactor of another all-time commitment video:

Recruits around the country have stepped up their game with commitment announcements this year. Wisconsin has already been the benefactor of one, Omillio Agard faking out the world by playing Jump Around as Bucky came out from backstage.

Now we can add another to the list. It came about 30 minutes ago from 2024 four-star EDGE Anelu Lafaele.

Related: Wisconsin’s 2024 class sits towards the top of the Big Ten in ‘Average Recruit Ranking’

It’s set in his home state of Hawaii, where four people with a shirt for Arizona State, Hawaii, Wisconsin and Washington respectively line up on a doc and all but the Wisconsin shirt end up in the water:

My memory of commitment videos mainly consists of players picking up a hat and throwing it aside, or bringing out a surprise hat at the end. Pushing people into the water from a dock is next-level.

BREAKING: Wisconsin lands a 2024 four-star EDGE from Hawaii

Wisconsin just landed another four-star

Wisconsin and Luke Fickell’s hot streak on the recruiting trail continued today. The program added a commitment from 2024 four-star EDGE Anelu Lafaele, the No. 18 overall commitment in the class and the fourth four-star commitment in the last few weeks.

The Badgers had been in on Lafaele for quite a while, offering him in June of 2022. The Honolulu, Hawaii native was then on campus for a visit last month and finally wrapped up his recruiting process this afternoon.

The 6-foot, 3-inch edge defender is 247Sports’ No. 520 player in the class of 2024, No. 37 EDGE and No. 2 recruit from the state of Hawaii.

Lafaele is Wisconsin’s seventh four-star recruit in the class, moving the group’s blue-chip ratio up to nearly 39%. The Hawaii connection is easy to note here, with former four-star recruit Nick Herbig having a tremendous college career and now playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

We’ll see if Fickell’s recent momentum on the recruiting trail continues as July comes to a close.

One of Wisconsin’s top 2024 targets sets commitment date

Something to monitor next week:

Wisconsin’s class of 2024 will be monitoring several commitments in the coming days, including that of four-star defensive lineman Benedict Umeh and four-star running back Darrion Dupree.

That list grew today, as Wisconsin class of 2024 top target Anelu Lafaele announced on Twitter he’d be announcing his commitment on July 11 at 5 p.m. central.

Lafaele is 247Sports’ No. 511 player in the class of 2024, No. 34 EDGE and No. 2 recruit from his home state of Hawaii. There are three crystal ball predictions currently listed from early June, each one predicting the Badgers to be his choice.

The Honolulu, Hawaii native is deciding between Wisconsin, Washington, Hawaii and Arizona State.

Badger fans hope Lafaele joins Wisconsin’s class of 2024 which currently ranks No. 26 nationally and boasts a 31% Blue Chip Ratio at the moment. After all, there is a significant recent example of an edge defender going from Hawaii to Madison, Wisconsin and having a ton of success — current Pittsburgh Steeler Nick Herbig.

Badgers listed in top 7 programs of class of 2024 edge rusher

Anelu Lafaele, a four-star edge rusher from Hawaii listed Wisconsin in his top seven schools on Wednesday.

Anelu Lafaele, a four-star edge rusher from Hawaii listed Wisconsin in his top seven schools on Wednesday. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound athlete is set to visit Madison in June.

Wisconsin has a rich history of recruiting and developing talent from Hawaii, most notably edge rusher Nick Herbig, who will likely be selected in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft later this month.

With Luke Fickell and Mike Tressel now in town, Lafaele would be able to work with a pair of highly regarded coaches as a member of the Badgers. Time will tell if the edge rusher wants to end up in Madison, but as of right now, Wisconsin is considered a favorite to land him.

Of the 16 Division 1 programs to offer Lafaele, Wisconsin and Washington are the current front runners to earn his commitment for 2024. As of right now, the Badgers have yet to secure a defensive recruit for the 2024 recruiting class.

 

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