Michigan State Football: 5 biggest questions facing offense in 2019

1. Will Brian Lewerke return to his 2017 form?

Brian Lewerke had a forgettable 2018 season, I think that much is for sure.

The then-junior quarterback was coming off a breakout sophomore season, passing for nearly 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns while throwing just seven interceptions. He also rushed for over 500 yards and became the ultimate dual-threat. But something happened early in 2018 — an injury — which caused him to be a shell of his former self.

Lewerke’s arm strength, confidence and accuracy were all gone. His arm strength left him after the shoulder injury as well as the accuracy and his confidence followed shortly thereafter when the coaching staff let him play through it.

Now that he’s had an entire offseason to rehab that shoulder and had a strong spring — which was evident in the Green & White Game — Lewerke could be one of the best bounce-back candidates in the country. He has the talent and plenty of potential, but will that yield results or will declining confidence continue to affect him?

A healthy Lewerke could be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten but without that arm strength and confidence, he’s mediocre, at best.