New transfer QB rankings are a sobering reality for Michigan State fans everywhere

What do Mel Tucker and Jonathan Smith have in common? Well, not much other than the fact that neither could figure out the quarterback situation at Michigan State.

Tucker had a knack for finding quarterback talent, but figuring out who should be the starter was always seemingly an issue. In year one, he went with Rocky Lombardi against many fans’ wishes, and it at least paid off against Michigan. In year two, he went with Payton Thorne and that led to 11 wins and a Peach Bowl trophy. In year three, he went with Thorne again, and he struggled.

In Tucker’s final season, he decided to go with Noah Kim after Thorne transferred to Auburn, and it ended up being the wrong choice. He had Sam Leavitt and Katin Houser at his disposal.

Both Houser and Leavitt transferred out after Jonathan Smith was hired.

Fortunately, Smith brought in the No. 1 transfer portal quarterback at the time in Aidan Chiles. He followed his head coach from Oregon State to Michigan State and immediately became QB1. Unfortunately, he just didn’t get the coaching he deserved in East Lansing, and he’s now back on the market after Smith was fired a few weeks ago.

Now, three of the quarterbacks mentioned above who transferred are garnering a ton of respect.

Sam Leavitt, Aidan Chiles, Katin Houser are hot commodities

Now that they’ve left Michigan State, Leavitt, Houser, and Chiles are hitting that refresh button, and two have already done so and saw immediate success afterward.

All three are back in the transfer portal again, and it looks like betting on themselves is going to pay off.

That’s right, Michigan State has the Nos. 1, 8, and 10 transfer quarterbacks currently in the portal, according to On3. I probably would have switched Houser and Chiles, but the point remains: Michigan State has no problem landing quarterback talent, but the past two coaches haven’t developed it.

There’s always going to be that “what if?” question in Michigan State fans’ heads about if Houser or Leavitt stayed instead of bringing Chiles in. Would the Smith era have lasted longer?

It’s impossible to say.

The three former Spartan quarterbacks are going to have plenty of potential suitors this offseason, and it’s just wild to see that Michigan State has been home to three of the top 10 transfer quarterbacks.