It’s an “open competition” for the Michigan State football starting quarterback position.
With spring practice beginning this week, Spartans head coach Mel Tucker met with media on Monday and one of the offseason’s biggest topics was brought up — how will he be assessing the starting quarterback position? Well, after a lackluster year in 2022, returning starter Payton Thorne is going to need to re-earn his role as QB1 apparently.
Tucker considers it an “open competition” between Thorne and the other quarterbacks — notably Noah Kim and Katin Houser — and that whoever wins the role has to lead, take command and be efficient.
Here’s the full quote from Tucker:
Mel Tucker on the other QBs: "They have to execute. They have to lead and take command and take control. … Each guy has to be productive and be efficient."
Says simply that the best guy will win the job.
— Graham Couch (@Graham_Couch) March 13, 2023
Thorne has started all 25 games for Michigan State the previous two seasons, leading the Spartans to a Peach Bowl in 2021 but then following it up with a losing record in 2022. Not all of last year’s failures fell on Thorne’s shoulders, but his inconsistent play certainly had fans calling for a change at that position heading into the offseason.
Houser redshirted last year but as a former four-star elite recruit in the 2022 class, he has garnered a lot of praise from fans to replace Thorne. It sounds like he’ll get his chance this spring.
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