MSU head football coach Mark Dantonio said entering spring practice that senior Tyler O'Connor was the frontrunner to replace Cook. 

Several practices later, that's still the case, but junior Damion Terry, redshirt-freshman Brian Lewerke and true freshman Messiah deWeaver aren't far behind.

"This is really just the sixth practice," MSU quarterbacks coach Brad Salem said after practice on Tuesday. "We've given all those guys reps with both the ones and twos as we kind of work through the process and really won't have our first scrimmage until Friday, so then we'll, maybe as there's any separation, but you know, as you keep putting more offense in, it's opportunities for guys to be evaluating and see what they can do."

But it's not as if Salem and the rest of the MSU coaching staff are not at all worried about the situation they're in, as both O'Connor and Terry have previous successful playing experience, most notably in MSU's 17-14 victory over Ohio State University last season.

"I think with experience comes confidence," Salem said. "So you've got two guys who have at least played and had success in games. Not the duration of a Connor Cook for a three year period but ... they're learning and living off those experiences and that's continued growth through the spring."

O'Connor, although humble, recognizes he's the favorite in the quarterback battle right now and said he's been looking forward to leading this team ever since MSU's loss to Alabama in the Cotton Bowl on New Year's Eve. He also said it's easier to lead when you carry yourself as a No. 1.

"I'm viewing myself as No. 1, which I'm sure the other guys are, too," O'Connor said. "I feel like the leader in the room. I feel like the offense does look to me to make some plays right now and everything like that and finally getting this role, I have to embrace it like that and I think that's the best way for me to go about it."

Although it's a competition, it's also a friendly competition, as all four of the quarterbacks help each other out as much as they can.

"It's definitely a friendly competition," O'Connor said. "Damion and I have been very, very, very good friends for the past three or four years and obviously Brian since he's been here. We have one of the closest quarterback rooms in the country to be completely honest. We help each other and what we see when we're out there on the field or when we're watching from behind or things like that. We're always pointing out what we see or what we're doing wrong so it's definitely a friendly competition. There's never ever been any animosity or anything like that."

Lewerke, a bit of a newcomer in the competition, senses the same thing.

"No one's really spiting each other," Lewerke said. "We all push each other. We're all rooting for each other to do the best we can so I feel like it's a pretty comfortable room."

For now, though, O'Connor said he's just trying to keep a level head through it all.

"There's going to be ups and downs," O'Connor said. "There's going to be good things, bad things all throughout and there always is in football. So just to keep playing consistent, fight to be as consistent as possible, be a leader, be the guy the offense can look to to make some plays, just never get too low."