The only outlier was during the 2012-13 season, when Andrew Maxwell and then-freshman Cook led the Spartans to a 7-6 record. While Maxwell wasn’t given the chance to flourish, he undoubtedly struggled during his time at quarterback.

Spartan fans are familiar with the names Drew Stanton, Brian Hoyer and Cousins. All found some success in the NFL. Cook is now projected to go early in the upcoming NFL draft. Outlasting even Dantonio’s time at MSU, there’s been a recent quarterback legacy during the past decade or so.

In a scheme like MSU's that includes running a pro-style offense, quarterback play is key. To get the most out of it, having an experienced signal caller really brings out the potential. This could be seen when Cook was at his healthiest, throwing darts across the football field.

That’s where the comparisons with Cousins and Cook are so similar. Both were given the chance at a starting job when they were sophomores. As they began to get used to the offensive system, they exploded to help bring the Spartans to success once thought unfathomable a decade ago.

For this upcoming fall, there seems to be two frontrunners gunning for the starting spot. The experienced guys, Tyler O’Connor and Damion Terry, seem to have the edge, according to the recent depth chart. Many fans believe O’Connor has the inside job, though, as he took the bulk of the playing time and admirably filled in for a then-injured Cook.

But there’s one guy who seems to hold some intrigue. He’s the one most fans don’t seem to be talking about. Redshirt-freshman Brian Lewerke is a youngster who holds a ton of potential, coming all the way from Arizona. True freshman Messiah deWeaver seems to garner a lot of hype because of this year's stellar recruiting class, but Lewerke is one guy putting in work.

Make no mistake — deWeaver has a ton of talent and can help this team. But being a true freshman, he’s going to have to play out of his mind to get some playing time.

The Spartans are in “win-now” mode, looking to build off and defend their 2015 Big Ten championship crown. However, there is definitely an incentive to give the young guys, namely Lewerke, some playing time this upcoming fall. It will make the coaching staff’s decision even easier if he deserves it on the practice field.

Lewerke has solid size, listed at 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds. He was scouted as a pro-style quarterback, so he suits the system already put in place at MSU. While not much has been said about him, he holds a lot intrigue after redshirting last year.

There’s one thing that MSU needs to do, however. They should play whoever will give the team the best chance to successfully win games. There’s no point in developing Lewerke if it leads to losses, especially because this team still has plenty of talent.

Along with the uncertain quarterback situation, the Spartans will have to lean on their running game much more than they have the past couple years. However, they have the added luxury of having multiple running backs to help with the offensive production.

The more it's looked at, the more this upcoming season looks similar to the one in the 2012 as a transition year between quarterbacks. A question mark at quarterback with an upperclassman leader looking to make his mark on the program coupled with a strong running game.

But the last time the Spartans had a quarterback battle of any kind, they went on to win the Rose Bowl in 2013 on the shoulders of Cook. It's hard to predict how 2016 will roll around, since there are so many factors going into it.

Breaking camp or during the season, it won’t be a surprise to anyone if either O’Connor or Terry were to nail down the starting spot. However, with their eligibilities almost up, the Spartans might have to be looking for another new starting quarterback sooner rather than later.

Both Lewerke and deWeaver are the future of this team and its quarterbacks. For the sake of MSU's future, getting their feet wet on the gridiron will be beneficial toward the future.