Payton Thorne and Michigan State teammates were out for spring drills on Tuesday and ready to turn the page from 2021. “Last year is last year, it’s a whole new year,” he said.

After all, there was plenty to like about last season, most notably when Thorne led the Spartans to a Peach Bowl victory over Pitt. He fueled the 21-0 fourth quarter for the Spartans. Thorne had a 22-yard touchdown pass to Jayden Reed which gave Michigan State the lead with less than 3 minutes remaining as the Spartans overcame an 11-point deficit to beat to win 31-21.

The Spartans quarterback embraces the program moving in the direction that no starting jobs are guaranteed, as he noted that the best programs set themselves apart that way.

About the departure of star running back Kenneth Walker III, Thorne said, “I think we’ll have a chance to be pretty good if we put the work in between now and fall.”