Mel Tucker on Michigan State quarterback battle: 'We'll see who runs out there first on Friday night'

Michigan State coach Mel Tucker is giving no clues as to whom the Spartans will roll out at starting quarterback for their season opener. With last year’s starter Payton Thorne transferring this offseason, redshirt junior Noah Kim and redshirt freshman Katin Houser have been in a battle since the spring.

Appearing in front of media with Michigan State preparing to face Central Michigan on Friday, Tucker was asked if a winner has emerged between the two. Regardless of whether not one has, he declined to make it known to the public.

“We’ll see who runs out there first on Friday night and then we’ll go from there,” Tucker said.

Kim brings four years of experience in the Spartans system after joining the team in the 2020 season. He appeared in four games this past year to finish 14-of-19 passing for 174 yards and three touchdowns. His best performance came against Ohio State in which he went 6-of-10 passing for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Houser played just six snaps last season as he took a redshirt as a four-star freshman out of St. John Bosco (CA) High School. He ranked as the No. 210 overall recruit and the No. 13 quarterback in the 2022 cycle according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

The Spartans are coming off of a 5-7 season and saw 22 players transfer this offseason. With many of the players, including quarterback, gone from last year, it will be interesting to see who Tucker goes with to lead the Michigan State offense.

Kickoff between the Spartans and Central Michigan is set for 7 p.m. ET on Friday in East Lansing.

Mel Tucker weighs evaluates what Kim, Houser bring to the table

During Big Ten media days, Tucker called Kim a “winner,” that understands Michigan State’s culture and system. His hyper-competitive attitude mixed with a strong arm and ability to make plays with his feet make him a perfect candidate for the starting job — but more importantly, he never tries to do too much. Tucker can always count on him to make a safe play.

While Tucker is confident in Kim’s abilities — that doesn’t mean he’s the clear starter. Houser, who enters his second year with the program, has the wow factor working in his favor.

“He makes throws in practice and the coaches are looking around and saying, ‘Did you see that? Did he really do that?’” Tucker said during Big Ten media days. “He’s a big, strong kid, he’s really, really competitive, he’s smart and he has a lot of confidence in himself. He can make all the throws.”