EAST LANSING — Payton Thorne was the first player to enter Spartan Stadium and the last to leave the field Saturday.
In between, the sophomore got the ball first in almost every drill and live situational work Michigan State football undertook during its final spring practice. His chemistry with his teammates showed, a few helmet slaps and fist-bumps to each member of the first-team offense as they set the pace with a hurry-up workout against the No. 1 defense.
All the marks of a budding leader.
“Obviously, that comes with the quarterback position,” Thorne said after the 1-hour, 40-minute workout.