Harlon Barnett and Michigan State football players know who will start at QB vs. Rutgers
EAST LANSING – Harlon Barnett knows. His players know.
But Michigan State football’s interim coach wouldn’t publicly name his starting quarterback for Saturday when the Spartans travel to Rutgers.
“We're still evaluating it. It’s a good competition going on. I'm doing my (Bill) Belichick again a little bit right now,” said Barnett, channeling his mentor, Belichick, who was his coach in the NFL. “It's gonna be good. Guys know where they stand and what's going to happen, and so we'll just leave it at that for now.”
Pressed further, Barnett added: “It's because we don't want anyone to know kinda, you know what I mean? But we know what we're gonna do, and we feel good about it. And so you'll see on Saturday.”
Barnett on his radio show Thursday during MSU’s bye week called it a “wide open” competition between starter Noah Kim, redshirt freshman Katin Houser or true freshman Sam Leavitt. That comes after the Spartans’ offensively challenged 26-16 loss Sept. 30 at Iowa.
Kim threw three more interceptions against the Hawkeyes while going 25 of 44 for just 193 yards with no touchdowns. Neither Houser, who got fourth-quarter action in each of MSU’s first four games, nor Leavitt played.
Over his past three games, Kim is 55 of 107 passing (51.4%) with six picks and one touchdown. The Spartans (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) have lost each of those while getting outscored 98-32. They have scored one touchdown in the past 34 drives with Kim at quarterback.
For the season, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Kim is 91 of 160 (56.9%) with six TD passes, and averages 218 passing yards per game. His six interceptions are tied for ninth-most among Football Bowl Subdivision quarterbacks.
Houser, a 6-3, 215-pound California native, is 9 of 16 for 158 yards, and has been first off the bench. However, that doesn't guarantee he's next in line to get the starting nod.
Barnett pulled Houser after one fourth-quarter drive in a 31-9 home loss to Maryland on Sept. 23. Houser moved MSU into scoring territory but threw an interception on a screen pass that sailed over running back Nathan Carter’s head. Leavitt replaced him and made his collegiate debut with 1:30 to play, completing both of his passes for 9 yards and running for 8 yards on the game's final play. Both Houser and Leavitt were four-star recruits brought in by since-fired coach Mel Tucker. Kim was a three-star prospect and part of Mark Dantonio’s final signing class in 2020.
All three quarterbacks, along with walk-on Andrew Schorfhaar, traveled to Iowa. Only Kim played as MSU scored its only touchdown on defense despite outgaining the Hawkeyes, 349-222, and owning a 7-minute, 36-second advantage in possession time.
None of the quarterbacks have been made available to the media since the Richmond game, the Spartans' last win which came hours before Tucker's suspension.
When pushed on whether the competition is complete for this week heading to Rutgers (noon, Big Ten Network), Barnett again harkened back to Belichick’s ability to duck and dodge giving straightforward answers – albeit with a much more pleasant demeanor – to a query that’s probably the biggest on-field question on almost every MSU fan’s mind.
“Is it over for this week? You guys know how to twist words around pretty good,” he said, eliciting a chuckle from reporters. “No, it's a good question. That's a good question.
“Um, possibly.”
Jacoby Windmon update
Barnett said linebacker Jacoby Windmon remains with the program and is one of the team’s key leaders despite suffering an unspecified season-ending injury before the Iowa game.
Windmon did not play in the second half of MSU’s win over Richmond on Sept. 9 with a reported pectoral injury, but registered two tackles in 40 defensive snaps in a loss to Washington the following week. The 6-2, 250-pound New Orleans native had 15 tackles and a sack in three games.
Because he played fewer than four games this season and did not redshirt as a freshman at UNLV in 2019, Windmon could petition the NCAA for one more year of eligibility. He returned to MSU this season for his fifth year, bypassing turning pro.
Barnett said he has not yet talked to Windmon about his future plans.
“He's a tremendous young man, a good dude,” Barnett said. “Some guys are just good people. He's a good dude, and he truly cares about his teammates. So I wish him nothing but the best, and we love him still being around.”
Windmon led the nation by forcing six fumbles last season and became the Spartans’ first three-time Big Ten defensive player of the week while moving between defensive end and linebacker. He registered 49 tackles, 5.5 sacks and an interception in eight games. His season ended prematurely when he was suspended for his role in the tunnel fight at Michigan Stadium and missed the final four games of 2022.
Contact Chris Solari: csolari@freepress.com. Follow him @chrissolari.
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Next up: Scarlet Knights
Matchup: Michigan State (2-3, 0-2 Big Ten) at Rutgers (4-2, 1-2).
Kickoff: Noon Saturday; SHI Stadium, Piscataway, New Jersey.
TV/radio: Big Ten Network; WJR-AM (760).
Line: Scarlet Knights by 5½.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State's Harlon Barnett: We know who our QB will be at Rutgers
