The Michigan State Spartans Top-15 Passing Leaders

The Michigan State Spartans have a new head coach with hopes of turning the program back into a Big Ten contender. That new head coach, Jonathan Smith, once played quarterback for Oregon State, where he coached the Beavers back to relevance over the past six seasons, finishing his tenure with a 34-35 record.

The Spartans know a thing or two about quarterback success. Times have been rough overall for the program for a few seasons save the 2021 campaign that saw the Spartans beating the Michigan Wolverines en route to an 11-win season, but there are some notable names to have taken snaps in East Lansing.

Getting back to having great quarterback play is likely at the top of Smith's checklist for revitalizing the program.

"At his core, he's a quarterbacks coach, and throughout his career he's been instrumental in the development of young quarterbacks, which is essential in today's college football landscape," Michigan State athletic director Alan Haller said in a statement, via ESPN.

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For the 2024 season, Smith will have to find a new quarterback. Redshirt freshman Katin Houser, who started the final seven games for Michigan State, intends to enter the Transfer Portal. Redshirt senior Noah Kim, who started the first five games of the season and four-star redshirt freshman recruit Sam Leavitt also announced their intentions to enter the Transfer Portal. It's possible Smith could bring Aidan Chiles, a four-star freshman who highlighted his final recruiting class at Oregon State, through the Transfer Portal. The Spartans also, currently, have a commitment from Henry Hasselbeck, son of former NFL quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, for the 2024 recruiting class.

But the future is yet to play out, and until next season begins, there's time to look back on the best of times for the Michigan State Spartans, particularly at the quarterback position. Here are the top 15 passers in Spartan history, ranked by yardage.