Michigan State football is less than four days away from its season opener against Central Michigan and has yet to announce who its starting quarterback will be. Head coach Mel Tucker again declined to name a starter on Monday, saying “We'll see who runs out there first,” according to Graham Couch.

With incumbent starter Payton Thorne deciding to transfer after a 5-7 season, Michigan State was left without a clear answer at quarterback for the 2023 season. A trio of young arms are taking their stab at the starting job, but the Spartans have not made it clear who will be under center for them and they may not even know yet themselves.

Noah Kim and Katin Houser are the projected frontrunners for the job, with true freshman Sam Leavitt not being ruled out of the race by Tucker. Kim and Houser combined to throw 21 passes last season in relief of Thorne, while Leavitt is a four-star recruit out of this year's class.

Mel Tucker's job security may come into question if Michigan State doesn’t improve this season which could be why he and the Spartans are taking all the time they can before announcing a starter. It could also come down to a competitive advantage for the Spartans.

Michigan State football was near the top of the college football mountain in 2021 with an impressive 11-win season. Last year's five-win campaign is not what Mel Tucker wants to be remembered for and the Spartans know they can be better in a tough Big Ten conference.