Mel Tucker confident in Michigan State QB Noah Kim: 'He's going to execute'

Indianapolis — Mel Tucker has holes to fill on Michigan State’s depth chart this fall, none bigger than at quarterback.
That void was created when two-year starter Payton Thorne opted to enter the transfer portal after the conclusion of spring practice, before ultimately ending up at Auburn. Thorne was a two-time captain who threw a program-record 27 touchdown passes in 2021.
With Thorne gone, however, the reins will be turned over to one of three players — fourth-year junior Noah Kim, Thorne’s primary backup last season, redshirt freshman Katin Houser or freshman Sam Leavitt.
Kim has the experience and appears to hold an edge coming out of spring practice, but if Tucker was leaning in one direction he was careful to tip anyone off Wednesday at Big Ten media days.
“I’m not sure,” Tucker said. “A couple of years ago I don’t think anyone knew who the starting quarterback was going to be going into that Northwestern game (when Thorne got the nod over Anthony Russo). It may be that. We’ll have to see, but our quarterback has to be our No. 1 competitor and we have three core values — tough, disciplined and selfless. Our quarterback has to be all three for us.
“It’s an open competition and I like the way the guys have approached it. We have very talented guys in that room. It’s a healthy competition, but we’re gonna play the best players. We don’t know who that is at this point. Obviously, Noah has more experience and has been in the system longer and you saw when he went in games he did make it look really easy.
“But it’s open. We’ll see how it goes. We need someone to go in there and do what we ask them to do — lead the offense, take what the defense gives them and if it’s not there, hit the check-down, run it or knock the beer out of someone’s hands in the stands and throw it away and go to next play. Play complementary football and don’t try to do too much.”
Only Kim has seen any meaningful snaps, though those have been limited. He’s completed 14 of 19 passes for 174 yards and three touchdowns and appears on the verge of taking over as Michigan State attempts to rediscover its winning ways.
It’s a daunting task as Michigan State attempts to rebound from a dismal 2022, but Tucker is clearly confident in Kim, who was signed as part of Mark Dantonio’s final recruiting class in 2020.
“Noah is a tremendously talented young man,” Tucker said. “He's a winner. He's got a lot of arm talent. He's very poised. He's very athletic. He's one of the fastest players on our team.
“He's got some experience. When he went in games last season, as you remember, he made it look easy. He's got the demeanor we're looking for. He's a guy that knows our offense, and he's going to do what we ask him to do. He's going to execute.”
While Tucker lauded Kim, the chances of naming a starter publicly before the first week of the regular season are slim and none. Instead, expect the quarterback battle to be framed as one that is anybody’s to win, including Hauser and Leavitt.
Hauser is the redshirt freshman who came to Michigan State with plenty of accolades and still might be the long-term option for the Spartans. But Kim likely has the advantage and Tucker is counting out Leavitt, another four-star prospect who will be reporting to campus for the first time next week.
“It’s a three-man race,” Tucker insisted. “(Leavitt) didn’t have the spring, so he has got to come in and learn what to do. He’s got learn the offense, he’s got to gain the trust of his teammates and he’s got to be able to execute on a consistent basis better than the other two guys.
“Sam is a very confident guy. He’s got some high goals and he was clear in recruiting he wanted to come in and play as a freshman. We told him the competition will be open for all of those guys, so we’ll see how it goes.”
With preseason camp set to begin next week, fifth-year senior wide receiver Tre Mosley has been up close and personal with all involved in the competition.
He’s not giving any hints, either, but he is relishing the fight to be the No. 1 guy, a scenario that is playing out all over the roster.
“All those guys are out there competing their tails off every day because they want the job badly,” Mosley said. “I like to see that because competition is good and that’s exactly what we need coming off the 5-7 season. May the best man win at every position. Coach Tucker told us after that season that no job was solidified, no matter how many games you started and what you accomplished individually. It’s a blank slate. Go out there and get it, so may the best man win at every position.”
While the fate of the Spartans is hinging on more than just quarterback play — replacing weapons at receiver, an improved running game and getting healthy on defense are high on the list — who gets the nod and how they develop will be critical.
“Last season was a tremendous learning experience for us,” Tucker said. “Not just for the players, but for the coaches and the support staff. Again, we're really, really hungry and excited to get going.
“I know one thing about this group of players and this group of coaches: we're going to roll our sleeves up and come to work every single day with a relentless mindset.”
Tucker: MSU culture 'very strong'
The hazing scandal at Northwestern was a hot topic on Wednesday as Wildcats interim coach David Braun took the podium. He replaced longtime coach Pat Fitzgerald, who was fired early this month after an investigation that has led to multiple lawsuits being filed against the university and some administrators.
Most of the Big Ten coaches who spoke were asked about their reactions, and Tucker said the culture at Michigan State has always been important and that he and athletic director Alan Haller would continue to discuss how the Spartans work to build their team.
“Our culture is very strong, and our culture starts with connection and authentic relationships and mutual respect,” Tucker said. “We have that. We do have an anti-hazing policy at the university and on our football team. Our players know that. I talked to Alan Haller, and that's going to be one of the topics we cover when we report to camp next Wednesday.”
Extra points
Speaking of camp, Michigan State’s players report on Aug. 2 with the first practice set for Aug. 3.
“We have a hungry, determined, and very, very focused football team heading into preseason camp,” Tucker said. “Our players have worked extremely hard in this out of season and are very, very well prepared to start camp next week.”
… Tucker gives little to no information on injuries but did give some hope linebacker Darius Snow is working his way back after suffering a leg injury in last season’s opener that kept him out the rest of the season.
“He had a significant injury and he’s been battling,” Tucker said. “He’s a sharp kid and very determined. He loves football and he’s been battling hard to get back and it’s going to take a while. Hopefully we’ll get a chance to see him to more in fall camp and then we’ll assess him at that point
“I don’t have an expectation yet. With injuries sometimes guys come back sooner than you expect and sometimes it takes a little bit longer. But I know this, if anyone can make it back it’s him.”
… Michigan State released its preseason roster on Wednesday, with no major changes from the spring. The entire recruiting class is accounted for, while there are some new additions, including kicker Yousef Obeid (Dearborn), kicker Tarik Ahmetbasic (Clinton Township Chippewa Valley) and long snapper Drew Wilson from Long Beach (California) City College.