Michigan States get preferred walk-on commitment from TE Jack Van Prooyen
MSU gets a pledge from an in-state tight end with multiple Division I offers. More on Van Prooyen here.
Michigan State has received a commitment from class of 2026 preferred walk-on tight end Jack Van Prooyen. He announced his pledge to the Spartans on Saturday.
Van Prooyen is an in-state tight end prospect out of Northview High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He visited East Lansing on Nov. 15, 2025 for the Spartans' game against Penn State. Shortly afterward, Van Prooyen earned a PWO offer from Michigan State tight ends coach Brian Wozniak on Nov. 23, 2025. That was also under then-head coach Jonathan Smith, but Wozniak was retained by newly-hired head coach Pat Fitzgerald, and Van Prooyen's opportunity to join MSU's roster is still available.
Now, Van Prooyen will play under Fitzgerald, Wozniak and the rest of the Michigan State staff throughout his college career. Getting to play at MSU is something that fulfills a lifelong goal for Van Prooyen.
"MSU has been my dream school my entire life," Van Prooyen told Spartans Illustrated. "I grew up an MSU fan and to have this opportunity is amazing. Coach Wozniak is also a great coach and I’m excited to be a part of this new era of Spartan football!"
In addition to his PWO spot at Michigan State, Van Prooyen had scholarship offers from Army, Air Force, Bucknell, Valparaiso, Ferris State, Saginaw Valley State, Wayne State, Western Illinois, Davenport and others.
As a senior for Northport in 2025, the 6-foot-4, 235-pound Van Prooyen recorded 31 receptions for 509 yards (16.4 yards per reception) and three touchdowns. He also excels in the classroom with a 3.86 grade point average.
Van Prooyen joins four-star tight end Joey Caudill and three-star tight end Eddie Whiting in Michigan State's 2026 class. Both Caudill and Whiting have already signed with MSU. Additionally, he is the fifth PWO player to commit to the Spartans, joining athlete/linebacker Jack Lansing III, wide receiver Colin Charles, defensive tackle Jackson Pahl and long snapper Zach Curtis. Lansing, Charles and Pahl were officially announced by the program in early December of 2025.