Michigan State Football: Not publicly naming QB1 yet is smart move

We are just four short days away from the start of Michigan State football’s 2021 season and for the second time in as many years during the Mel Tucker era, we still don’t know who the starting quarterback will be.

Tucker did a little recruiting of his own in the offseason, adding Anthony Russo from the transfer portal. He also lost Rocky Lombardi to the portal, but he made a move that was best for the program, bringing some extra competition to the quarterback position and upgrading the room after a shaky 2020 season.

The second-year coach also brings in Hamp Fay as a true freshman and Noah Kim rounds out the quarterback room after Theo Day, too, transferred.

Usually a new coach likes to go with his guy at quarterback, especially when there were struggles the prior season with the past regime’s passers, but Payton Thorne showed promise.

Thorne has made the decision tough for Tucker even though Russo has the starting experience and plenty of talent. Plus, he’s one of Tucker’s guys.

But no starter has been named just four short days before the game and it has caused a stir as even Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald touched on the uncertainty at the position for MSU. He stated that the Wildcats will be preparing for both.

This is a good thing for Michigan State.

Tucker playing chess, not checkers, vs. Northwestern

By not naming a starter publicly (and according to 247Sports‘ Justin Thind it’s been decided in private), Tucker is forcing Northwestern to spend more time adjusting to two quarterbacks and not just focusing on one and his playing style.

Michigan State may be doing this in order to force Northwestern to take longer to prepare, or it may not, but either way, Tucker is playing chess and not checkers.

Even if this makes Northwestern a little uncomfortable on Friday night, it’s worth it.