Coaches do not typically compliment freshman. Head coach Mark Dantonio loves his senior players and is loyal to them. However, they have made it known that they love what they see in Payton Thorne — Dantonio went as far as to say he reminded him of Kirk Cousins.
That is strong praise for a freshman.
In 2018, he threw for over 3,000 yards for Naperville Central in Illinois and had 40 touchdowns. He’s a winner. Like Cousins, he only had a MAC offer. He is one of those players that Dantonio was known for getting early on in his career at MSU.