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Michigan State Football: 7 underclassmen to watch for vs. Akron

By Emmett Matasovsky

Michigan State safety Jaden Mangham (1) and defensive back Dillon Tatum (21) warm up before the game against Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022.
Michigan State safety Jaden Mangham (1) and defensive back Dillon Tatum (21) warm up before the game against Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing on Friday, Sept. 2, 2022. /
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Michigan State’s Katin Houser throws a pass during the spring game on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.220415 Msu Spring Game 201a
Michigan State’s Katin Houser throws a pass during the spring game on Saturday, April 16, 2022, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing.220415 Msu Spring Game 201a /

The case for QB Katin Houser

The second you read the headline, I am sure more than a few of you thought about Houser. I completely agree with this line of thinking, as I think Houser will see his first snaps of the season against the Zips. Houser has gotten great reviews from the coaching staff this offseason. Despite losing the backup quarterback role to Noah Kim, I believe that the freshman has made it a close competition. Hamp Fay, the other quarterback of note in the battle for QB2, elected to move to the defensive sign of the ball, which is rather telling for me.

Houser looked alright in the spring game, and with Kim as a backup, the chance for Houser to see game reps will be few and far between. I expect the coaching staff to take advantage of the chance to see game reps against a defense that Houser does not see on a daily basis in practice. Besides, he can play this game and still have the chance to keep his red shirt intact.

The case against Houser

Due to the transfer of Anthony Russo last year, the Spartans entered the season with Payton Thorne as the only quarterback to see in-game action. Even after a 22-point victory against Western, the most experienced backup is Noah Kim and his singular career snap when Thorne was down with a cramp. Kim took a deep shot, but that has been it for the Spartan backup experience.

As a result, I would not be surprised if the staff would like Noah Kim to receive as many snaps as possible on Saturday to shake off any rust of not seeing game action for a few years. Considering the lack of experienced depth in the quarterback room, I could not blame the staff in the slightest.

The other option for the Spartans would be having Kim and Houser form a two-quarterback system if the game is out of hand, but I am hesitant about that. As the school down the road is finding out, that is not a great path.

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