Noah Kim embraces ongoing competition for starting quarterback job at Michigan State

Michigan State quarterback Noah Kim joined Jack Ebling on The Drive with Jack earlier this week to talk about his off-season preparation and the competition for the job of starting quarterback, which will resume when training camp begins later this summer.

Kim, who had been in the thick of a heated competition for the starting quarterback job at Michigan State during spring football, is the clear frontrunner for a starting job since Payton Thorne left the program for Auburn.

“Someone who is ready to go, who is confident in himself and in his team,” said Kim, describing himself. “Someone who all he wants to do is win and is going to do whatever it takes to get those wins. Someone who will not back down from any type of competition. That is a little summary of who I am.”

Kim, who played in four games last season to earn his first letter and completed 14-of-19 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns, has his best chance to earn a starting job since setting foot on campus as the lone quarterback recruit in Mark Dantonio’s 2020 recruiting class.

Kim believes he effectively used spring football to demonstrate to Michigan State coaches that he has the skillset necessary to be a successful quarterback at the Power 5 level.

“I can do what they are asking me to do, and I think that is all that they are looking for,” said Kim. “I think that is what they look for at every position, but doing what they are asking me to do, doing what they want to see from me was the biggest thing that helped me play at the level I was playing at and get the coaches’ attention. I think that is what got me there.”

Every day he’s been at Michigan State, Kim has strived to carry himself as if he were the program’s starting quarterback. Preparing each day as if he were a starter has put the objective of earning a starting quarterback job within reach for Kim.

“I did my best every day when Payton was here to compete for that spot,” Kim said. “Whether Payton was named the starter or not, I am still competing every day like I am going to take it. I just feel like that is the mentality that all QB’s need to have no matter where you are on the depth chart. I was trying to earn a spot, earn the respect of coaches and teammates every day in practice. Practicing that way has allowed me to throw those passes when I first came into the game. Even my first play in college. That all stems from practice.”

Given his background, it is not a surprise to see Kim embracing the next phase of the quarterback competition during training camp. When that competition resumes, Kim will be pushed by redshirt freshman Katin Houser as well as true freshman Sam Leavitt.

“That is something that will be decided later in fall camp,” Kim said. “Me, mentally, I am not focused on the QB competition itself. I am focused more on how I can improve myself every day. I feel like that is what is going to get me to where I want to get to. When I say that, I have to put myself in the shoes of the starting QB, commanding the team like I’m the guy. You have to do that even if you haven’t been named the guy.”

Kim sees no shortage of talent at Michigan State

Kim is bullish on the talent level Michigan State returns at skill positions on offense despite roster turnover.

“We have a mix of everything,” Kim said. “We’ve guys that are hungry who haven’t seen the field as much yet. We’ve got guys who have games under their belt like Tre (Mosley). We have a great mix of guys, tons of confidence in our room, and we are looking forward to this season because it is going to be special.”

Earlier this summer, Mosley was one of three Michigan State receivers along with Montorie Foster and Christian Fitzpatrick to travel to Kim’s home in Virginia to workout.  

“I invited those guys down for a few days and got some good training in,” Kim said. “We went to (Washington) D.C. and got some sightseeing in. We had a good time.”

Mosley, Foster, and Fitzpatrick are in strong position to be productive pieces in the wide receiver rotation for Michigan State. Those three players are also potential starters at wideout for the Spartans, who are tasked with replacing NFL Draft pick Jayden Reed and talented transfer Keon Coleman (Florida State).

Michigan State has several additional underclassmen in position to push for contributing roles. Kim singled out underclassmen such as Antonio Gates Jr, Jaron Glover, Tyrell Henry, along with Nebraska transfer Alante Brown as potential breakout candidates at the wide receiver position.

“All of these guys are eager to play, they’re hungry, and I think that is something that we should all be looking forward to,” Kim said.

Kim describes Brown as a potential field-stretching receiver for the Spartans.

“He’s athletic, a twitchy receiver, he can jump, great ball skills,” Kim said. “He can do it all. I am excited to see what he can offer when we get into camp soon.”

Depth and talent at the tight end position is strength of the Spartan offense. Junior Maliq Carr is the leader of the tight end group at Michigan State and is poised for a breakout season in Kim’s estimation.

“Him being as big as he is, his frame, he has great hands,” Kim said of Carr. “He knows the offense, has played in games. He knows how to block. He’s physical. He’s just a big body, and there is nothing holding him back, and that goes for all of us. He is due for a great season.”