1. QB Battle
Payton Thorne has moved on from the Michigan State Spartans and is headed to Auburn. However, even if he hadn’t headed south, there was already a full-fledged quarterback competition in place, and things weren’t looking great for Thorne. With him out of the picture, Noah Kim and Katin Houser will battle it out for the starting role. While Kim seems to be the consensus favorite right now, whoever wins the job can’t get too comfortable. A slow start could very likely see a swap made during the season.
2. The Michigan State Offensive Line
If there was one hallmark of the best years of the Dantonio era, it was the reliability of the offensive line. I’m not suggesting that the line was ever amongst the best in the nation. They may not have been the difference-maker, but they were never the GOAT. You could simply count on them. They always did just enough to let the playmakers do what they needed to.
It’s been a few years since the Spartans have seen that kind of line play. It feels like it might finally be returning. Spring practice reports had players and coaches speaking highly of how well the unit played together. That’s good news for those hoping to see Sparty return to real competitiveness in the Big Ten.
3. Cal Haladay
Michigan State LB Cal Haladay (27) – Junfu Han/USA TODAY Network
If Michigan State is going to be competitive this year with an offense full of question marks, the defense will need to be stout. LB Cal Haladay will have to hit even another level for that to be the case. He earned all-conference honors last year and is poised for another big season. By season’s end, we may be looking at the conference’s best linebacker. And if Michigan State is going to contend, it seems like he’ll probably have to be.
4. Transfer RBs
Former UConn RB Nathan Carter (26) – UConn Athletics
Two years ago, Kenneth Walker III headlined a solid class of transfers. Last year was a bit of a dud. This year’s question is whether Mel Tucker has regained some of that transfer portal wizardry. The play of transfer RBs Nate Carter and Jaren Mangham will be a big part of determining how fans feel about Tucker’s portal prowess. I don’t think anyone would dare hope for a repeat of Walker, but consistent production from these two and a solid running game to bolster inexperienced QB play might make the Spartans a formidable opponent all season long.
5. Who Are The Spartans Under Mel Tucker?
Based on his contract, Mel Tucker isn’t going anywhere soon. The “Mel Tucker Era” of Spartans football is still in its early stages. Still, one would hope to see a little more of an identity in the team at this point. Tucker’s first year was a burst of hope centered primarily around an underdog takedown of the Wolverines. And, of course, his second year got him his enormous contract. Tucker looked like the ideal coach for this college football transfer portal era. But after an ugly season last year, both on the field and in the Michigan Stadium tunnel, Spartans fans are left to wonder what exactly a “Mel Tucker team” looks like.
This is the year Tucker needs to establish his program. In the last few years, it has felt like the team is merely trying to improve a little over the previous year, but it’s never really felt like a team building towards something. This needs to be that first year where Michigan State starts building a program that can compete in the revamped Big Ten every year.
