Leaving one big, unanswered question for the 2013 season: Maxwell or Cook?

Following the 2013 Big Ten football media day, head coach Mark Dantonio made it clear: Maxwell currently will maintain the starting quarterback position for the 2013 season.

“Right now, Andrew is our No. 1 quarterback,” Dantonio said. “He’s got a great deal of experience and a lot of confidence right now.”

Despite Maxwell being named starting quarterback, Dantonio said the quarterback’s play in August will ultimately determine who will lead the offense in the fall.

“We’re looking forward to the competition,” Dantonio said.

During a roundtable in June, Dantonio said a lack of experience affected Maxwell during the season, as well as MSU great Kirk Cousins in 2009.

According to Dantonio, he wants to avoid beginning another season with an inexperienced quarterback, such as Maxwell in 2012.

Cook appeared in three games in 2012 and has been working with quarterback guru George Whitfield Jr. over the summer. Whitfield Jr. has a strong résumé as a coach, as he has worked with Ben Roethlisberger, Cam Newton, Andrew Luck and Johnny Manziel, among others.

“Connor Cook has played as everybody knows — I think that’s a big positive for us,” Dantonio said. “He’s excited about where he’s at as well, and his confidence is very high.”

With the potential Cook showed in 2012 and the importance of experience Dantonio has stressed, Cook could possibly receive a fair amount of snaps in 2013.

“Our quarterback position is much stronger than it was last year,” Dantonio said.

In addition to Maxwell and Cook, redshirt freshman Tyler O’Connor received a lot of reps in spring, and coveted freshman recruit Damion Terry could remain in the mix as well.