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 OLB Leon Lowery (Illinois), CB Amare Snowden and S Braedyn Moore (Toledo), CB Jonas Duclona (South Florida), S Justin Taylor (Wyoming) and TE 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 top-ranked class of 2024, ranked as 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. Along with CB Xavier Lucas, DL Hank Weber, and QB Mabrey Mettauer, he is one of four members of Wisconsin’s class of 2024 to depart.
Lafaele joins a Michigan State program that went 5-7 in year one under new head 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.
Thank you Jesus @coach_lafaele @tjlafaele @BrandonHuffman #gogreen pic.twitter.com/W3UD4chmrd
— Ane1u1afaele (@LafaeleAnelu) December 23, 2024
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, with seniors Darryl Peterson, Aaron Witt and Mason Reiger (transfer) set to lead the room in 2025. Rising junior Sebastian Cheeks and class of 2024 signees Thomas Heiberger and Ernest Willor Jr. appear to be 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.
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