Michigan State Football: Projecting offensive depth chart for 2020

Quarterback

Starter: Theo Day
Backup: Rocky Lombardi OR Payton Thorne

This is the position battle everyone will be talking about in the weeks leading up to the season and it might not even be decided by the time the first game against Rutgers rolls around.

We might see this battle play well into the season like we have in the past with Kirk Cousins and Keith Nichol battling it out.

Right now, though, if I had to venture a guess on the starter, it would be Theo Day. He has the size at 6-foot-5 and the arm to be a legitimate threat at the collegiate level. When I watched him in high school at Divine Child, I always thought he played with confidence like Connor Cook and was never afraid to tuck and run with the ball. He’s an athlete.

I also wouldn’t be surprised to see Rocky Lombardi win the job and if that’s the case, that means he has improved his accuracy tremendously this offseason. We all know he’s a true leader, but the sub-50 percent completion rate must improve. He could be the split-starter with Day early.

Lastly, Payton Thorne has a real shot. He isn’t as big as Theo, but he has quite the arm. His arm talent is still raw, but he’s going to be good in East Lansing. This might not be his time just yet, though.