Thorne in portal after 2 years as Spartans starter

Michigan State quarterback Payton Thorne has entered the transfer portal after two seasons as the Spartans' starting quarterback.

He is entering as a graduate transfer and will be a redshirt senior in 2023.

Thorne has thrown for 6,494 yards, 49 touchdowns and 24 interceptions in his Michigan State career. In the 2021 season, his first as the starter, Thorne showed a ton of promise, throwing for 3,233 yards and 27 touchdowns with 10 interceptions.

He played through injuries in 2022 and threw for 2,679 yards and 19 touchdowns with 11 interceptions as Michigan State went 5-7 overall, including losses to Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State.

Despite being the starter the past two seasons, Thorne was in a battle for the No. 1 spot this offseason with Noah Kim, a redshirt junior from Virginia. Kim has primarily been a backup, but with the inconsistency on offense during the 2022 season, coach Mel Tucker was looking for someone to take the starting job.

Michigan State still has Kim on the roster, as well as redshirt freshman Katin Houser, a four-star prospect in the 2022 class.

Because Thorne is a graduate transfer, he will be eligible immediately at his next destination. It is late in the transfer process, however, as Sunday is the final day for nongraduate transfers to enter the portal before the window closes.

He will have competition for another landing spot as well, as Nebraska quarterback Casey Thompson and Purdue quarterback Brady Allen recently entered the portal.