MSU quarterback Noah Kim embracing leadership role in Payton Thorne's absence
As Michigan State football begins fall camp, the program is tasked of filling large shoes after losing two-year starting quarterback Payton Thorne and wide receiver Keon Coleman to the transfer portal.
It is not just the skills on the field that are lost, but also the leadership and impact those veterans had on the team. The starting quarterback is often viewed as the leader of the team and with the departure of Thorne, redshirt junior quarterback Noah Kim feels the responsibility to fill Thorne’s shoes as a leader on and off the field.
“I didn’t see it coming,” Kim said of Thorne’s transfer. “Payton is a good friend of mine and we still stay in contact. I was supportive of him. I texted and called him and congratulated him when he chose his school. I’m very happy for him and I hope he does well.”
Popular opinion during spring practice had Kim projected as MSU’s backup quarterback again this fall, but the fourth-year Spartan was confident in his ability to win the starting spot even prior to Thorne’s transfer.
“I think it was my opportunity to compete for the spot whether he was here or not,” he said.
Now, Kim is a frontrunner for the job, competing with both reshirt freshman Katin Houser and true freshman Sam Leavitt at the start of fall camp. Kim saw the field briefly this past season completing 14-of-19 passes for 174 yards, with three touchdown passes and no interceptions. After the first day of fall camp, the redshirt junior was optimistic about the upcoming season after spending the summer bonding with his teammates and growing into that leadership role.
“I feel good about myself. I feel strong, I feel fast, I’ve put on some lean muscle,” Kim said. “I’m trying to get better at leading every single day. Payton did well and there are some things that I can take away from his game and taking bits and pieces from other people on the team.”
While he's now the perceived favorite, Kim knows that the starting quarterback job is still up for grabs and that he'll have to earn it over these next 24 days of practice in fall camp.
“You have to put your head down and work,” he said. “Nothing is given to you. You have to work with what you get, that’s my mindset. As a leader you have to have the right mindset in camp and practice.”
One of the themes surrounding Michigan State since Big Ten Media Days has been an emphasis on team bonding activities. Kim spoke to that mindset and how it's helped the Spartans develop better team chemistry in recent months.
“We want to be closer as a group,” he said. “The closer that we get can only help us. Coming together and being connected is one of the biggest things that can help with success.”
In the past, head coach Mel Tucker hasn't revealed who Michigan State's starting quarterback will be until moments before kickoff of the Spartans' opening game. It is likely that this will not change in 2023, and it won't be known who's won the job between Kim, Houser and Leavitt until the first game begins. This year, the Spartans open up at home against Central Michigan on Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:00 p.m.
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