The start of the 2023 college football season is close. Michigan State will open fall camp in early August and begin its 2023 campaign at home with a Friday night contest against Central Michigan on Sept. 1 at 7 p.m. (FS1).

Leading up to then, Spartans Illustrated will run through the personnel at each positional group on the roster. We will kick the series off with arguably the biggest question mark on Michigan State's team, and arguably the position that will make or break the Spartans' 2023 season the most, quarterback.

Michigan State lost two-year starter and team captain Payton Thorne to the transfer portal. Thorne, a redshirt senior, decided to move to Auburn. Of course, losing a player as productive as Thorne — who holds the MSU program record for single season touchdown passes with 27 — was a blow. With that said, after an inconsistent 2022 season, Thorne was not guaranteed the starting job in 2023, which may have played a factor in his decision to move on.

According to Michigan State offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Jay Johnson, Thorne was taking equal reps this spring with redshirt junior Noah Kim and redshirt freshman Katin Houser.

Now, with Thorne out of the picture, the three-man battle has become a two-man race. Johnson and head coach Mel Tucker were adamant throughout the spring that the starting quarterback spot is open and that it is a true competition. This will carry over into fall camp as Kim or Houser look to take command of the job.

Additionally, and obviously much less talked about, Michigan State also lost another quarterback to the transfer portal this spring in Christian Banks. Joining the team as a walk-on running back in 2022, Banks worked as a quarterback throughout the spring. Hamp Fay, a former quarterback who converted to safety and then eventually to tight end, also transferred out this past spring. Fay will play at Oklahoma in 2023.

Michigan State also adds talented true freshman quarterback Sam Leavitt out of Oregon to the quarterbacks room in 2023, while walk-on Andrew Schorfhaar returns for his redshirt junior campaign. It is possible Michigan State adds more walk-ons at the position.

The quarterback position is inexperienced for Michigan State, with just 21 combined career passes thrown between the group. However, Tucker likes where it stands and isn't worried about the lack of experience.

“That was the same thing people were saying about Payton (Thorne) a couple of seasons ago,” Tucker said in June about the limited experience at the quarterback position. “Obviously we feel good about our situation, our guys are very, very competitive. We’re going to play the best players and we’re going to have a good summer and a good camp.”

Let's take a further look at Michigan State's quarterbacks.

Now in his fourth year in the program, Noah Kim has a great opportunity to take over the starting quarterback role for Michigan State.

Kim was actually recruited by former Michigan State head coach Mark Dantonio and the previous staff. In fact, Kim's former basketball coach, John Dantonio, is Mark's brother. With that said, Kim has only played under Tucker and Johnson, and is plenty comfortable with the scheme and environment in East Lansing.

In limited action in 2022, Kim looked sharp, albeit largely against lackluster competition. Kim appeared in four games last season and amassed 38 offensive snaps to earn his first letter.

He connected on 14 of his 19 pass attempts for an impressive completion percentage of 73.7% last season. Kim compiled 174 passing yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions, and averaged 12.4 yards per completion.

During the spring, Johnson said he likes the mobility element of Kim's game, while also praising his timing, coachability, vision and other aspects. Johnson also noted that there were certain areas where Kim needed refinement.

"Noah has (done) very solid things,” Jay Johnson said about Kim during the spring. “One of the things that Noah brings, I do like his run ability, he has shown some good things in the run game. We’ve got to clean up, a little bit, some of the technique and fundamentals that we saw coming out of (the scrimmage) on Saturday with him. But it’s great because it’s fixable for him and he knows what we’ve got to do there. But his timing, as far as what he’s seeing, I think is positive. There are a few things that he has to focus on from an identification process that will get fixed.”

Kim made some impressive throws during the "Spartan Football Kickoff" event in April, which essentially served as the Spartans' spring "game," but he certainly wasn't perfect. Afterward, Kim spoke about the quarterback competition and how it brings out the best in the players.

“I love it because it’s going to keep all of us hungry,” Kim said about the open quarterback competition. “You want to come to practice, you want to compete, especially at this level. It’s only going to make you a better player. It’s going to make you a better person. If it’s an open competition … we have to come every day like we want the job, all of us. That’s what I’m gonna do, and I’m expecting them to do that as well and it’s gonna make us all better.”

Obviously, Thorne has departed since those comments were made, but the battle between Kim and Houser will be heated and his thought process will remain the same.

Kim was considered a three-star prospect out of Westfield High School and ranked as the No. 19 player in the state of Virginia and No. 33 pro-style quarterback in the class of 2022, according to Rivals.

Originally, Kim was committed to Virginia Tech from May of 2019 to October of 2019 — at which time Michigan State's newly-hired executive director of player personnel and recruiting Mark Diethorn was the Hokies' director of player personnel — before flipping to Michigan State on Oct. 30 of that year.

At Westfield, Kim compiled a record of 41-2 as starter and led the Bulldogs to a Virginia Class 6 state championship as a sophomore in 2017. He suffered a broken femur in the Virginia Class 6 playoff semifinals of his junior season in 2018.

Kim is listed at 6-foot-2 and 185 pounds and may still need to add some weight to sustain taking hits in the Big Ten, but he will do everything he can throughout fall camp to win the job.

While some may see Kim as the athlete with the "safer floor," Katin Houser is considered by many to perhaps have the "highest ceiling" among Michigan State's quarterbacks.

That line of thinking is largely due to Houser's pure talent and status as a high-four-star prospect out of high school in the 2022 class. He played for a powerhouse program at St. John Bosco High School in California where he split reps with 2023 four-star quarterback Pierce Clarkson, who is now at Louisville. Houser was ranked by Rivals as the No. 151 overall recruit in the nation, as well as the No. 8 player in California and No. 10 pro-style quarterback in his class. Houser was also a participant in the finals of the Elite 11 quarterback competition in 2021.

Houser was previously committed to Boise State before flipping to Michigan State in June of 2021. Houser enrolled at Michigan State early in January 2022 and has now been in East Lansing for about a year-and-half as he enters his second collegiate season in 2023.

While the potential for Houser is easy to see, experience is where he lacks. Houser redshirted as a true freshman in 2022 and only appeared in one game versus Akron. He completed one of two passes in that game for two yards, and recorded a 12-yard rush.

However, Johnson likes the progress that Houser showed throughout the spring. Johnson believes that Houser made a big jump this past spring.

"Katin has been here a little over a year now, and I really felt like he took a big step on Saturday in some live opportunities (during the scrimmage), did some really nice things,” Johnson said about Houser in late March. “You hate to use the adage that it’s slowing down, but it is for him, and now he’s kind of through the installs (for) the second or third time. I see Katin making some really good progress. He definitely has some very good arm talent, throws it very easily, but the rest of his game is starting to follow that suit.

“I see a marked change in just how (Houser) handles the huddle, how he calls the play at the line of scrimmage. If you look at his – I don't know if I ever want to use the word ‘comfort level’ in the pocket, but he is more balanced there. He's more under control. And so that just tells me it's all starting to come together."

During the "Spartan Football Kickoff” event, the general thought from pundits and perhaps some fans was that Houser seemed to be lagging behind Thorne and Kim. With that said, the coaching staff may have intentionally limited Houser's reps as to not put too much film out there on him. Houser did make some good throws, but missed some during the session as well.

After the spring "game" in April, Houser discussed how he is more comfortable and has a better understanding of what is going on in his second year with the program.

"I feel like I'm a lot more confident this year than I was last year," Houser said after in April. "I feel like last year I was just thrown into the fire, expected to make plays and you don't really know what to do. Right now, I feel like I'm confident going out there. I know what to do, command the offense, and I just gotta do that more consistently from now moving forward.”

In May, Houser joined the Locked On Spartans podcast to discuss his thoughts on the quarterback competition.

"I've got an opportunity to go compete for the job, and I didn't shy away and I'm ready to work," Houser said on Locked On Spartans. "As far as Michigan State, I'm ready to come in and work. I think it's a really good opportunity for me and I'm ready to step in. I'm excited."

While on the podcast, Houser, who has obvious arm talent, also noted that he is strong in the mental aspects of the game. He takes pride in being able to master Michigan State's playbook and read defenses. Houser also has good size at 6-foot-3, 213 pounds.

He'll now have his chance to take the reins for the Spartans.

Johnson, Tucker and the rest of the Michigan State staff were able to land a commitment from three-star prospect Sam Leavitt in mid-December of 2022, right before the Early Signing Period. It was a great job by the staff to pull Leavitt away from Washington State, where he was previously committed, so late in the process.

After Leavitt's official visit to Michigan State during the weekend of Dec. 9 through Dec. 11, 2022, he told Spartans Illustrated that his relationship with Johnson was really strong. That bond helped lead Leavitt to the Spartans.

"(Our relationship) is professional, and at the same time, I feel like we're able to connect, too," Leavitt said about Johnson in December. "I like him a lot as a person, and I like the way that he goes about coaching -- he seems very enthusiastic."

Leavitt, 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, had a huge senior season at West Linn High School in Oregon and then saw a rise in his recruitment. He completed 169 of his 244 passing attempts (69.3%) and threw for 3,065 yards and 36 touchdowns. Additionally, Leavitt rushed for 693 yards and eight scores. He lead the Lions to a 12-1 record and an Oregon Class 6A state championship in 2022.

For his efforts, Leavitt was named as the 2022-2023 Oregon Gatorade Football Player of the Year. Leavitt also has a strong football pedigree. Jared Leavitt, Sam's father, played linebacker for BYU. His brother, Dallin Leavitt, is currently a safety for the NFL's Green Bay Packers.

During Mel Tucker's Early Signing Day press conference for the 2023 class, he discussed why the Spartans are so high on Leavitt.

“He is the number one player in the state of Oregon," Tucker said about Leavitt. "He was named the state’s Player of the Year and won a state championship as a senior. This guy is a football junkie and a gym rat who comes from a football family. His dad played at BYU and his brother plays with the Green Bay Packers right now. He’s got a big arm, he’s very confident, he’s got a live arm and can make all the throws.”

Leavitt did not have enough credits accumulated to enroll at Michigan State early at the time, so he joined the Spartans ahead of the summer strength and conditioning program after graduating from West Linn in the spring. It's going to take him some time to learn the playbook and checks and get comfortable in his new surroundings.

Outside of injuries or another emergency, expect Leavitt to redshirt as a true freshman.

A local product out of DeWitt High School, Andrew Schorfhaar joined Michigan State as a preferred walk-on in 2020. He has not yet appeared in a game. Schorfhaar is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.

The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Schorfhaar now enters his redshirt junior campaign and fourth year in the program overall. It is unlikely Schorfhaar will be lining up under center in games for the Spartans this season (outside of major injuries), but he provides depth and is very familiar with the playbook at this point in his career.

As a senior at DeWitt in 2019, Schorfhaar threw for 1,657 yards and 19 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,004 yards and 14 additional scores. He earned honorable mention all-state selection for Division 3-4 by The Associated Press.

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