Among others getting all the headlines are senior Tyler O’Connor and junior Damion Terry, rightfully so. The two are the upperclassmen leaders and O’Connor seems to hold the top spot, for now.

Even true freshman Messiah deWeaver has been getting a lot more time in the spotlight compared to Lewerke. But after winning the Watkins award, even he has earned his time out in the open.

Lewerke, though, fits MSU’s pro-style system well. He was ranked as one of the best pro-style quarterbacks in his recruiting class by multiple sites. The freshman has good size, too, and is listed at 6-foot-3 and weighs approximately 200 pounds.

There’s a lot to like about Lewerke, and the coaches have seen that as well. Head coach Mark Dantonio has seen exactly what was advertised about a talent like Lewerke. He has even received a few compliments reminiscent of a past Spartan great.

“(Lewerke has a) quick release, knows where to go with the ball for a young player,” Dantonio said. “Very steady, very cool. He’s got great arm strength. Reminds me a little bit of Kirk Cousins in a little ways.”

It’s always hard for a true freshman to come in and learn the offensive system. Having the luxury of learning from the winningest quarterback in MSU history in Cook could help Lewerke in the long run.

“If I had any question on any play that I was confused on, (Cook) knew the offense like the back of his hand,” Lewerke said. “I asked him for any tips or tricks he has.”

As for his spring, Lewerke is slowly getting more and more reps during the team's practices. Heading into the annual Green and White game, Lewerke is gaining college experience against his teammates.

“It’s good to be able to get the opportunity to show myself and all the coaches and show what I’ve learned throughout my redshirt-freshman year,” Lewerke said. “Just learning from Connor (Cook) last year, so I’m able to show it off on the field a little bit."

The week leading up to the game against Penn State last fall, there was the distinct possibility that Lewerke could possibly see the field. Cook wasn’t able to practice with his shoulder injury, and Terry was also banged up with injuries.

As a result, Lewerke saw some second-string playing time during practice leading up to that game. Quarterbacks coach Brad Salem said that was a valuable learning experience for Lewerke.

“When Connor Cook did not play going into the Penn State game, really Connor couldn’t practice, and Damion was hurt, too," Salem said. "So Brian got thrust into the number two quarterback spot. So that was really a week, I think, that created urgency in his mind once he got into the bowl (game) practice and into the offseason.”

As for fans’ expectations from Lewerke going forward, Salem had his own opinion. 

“Brian’s got calm presence in the pocket,” Salem said. “He’s a very good athlete that can extend plays and get out and run. He’s a guy that throws on time with very good accuracy.”

Lewerke’s goal for this spring will naturally be to compete for the up-for-grabs starting spot at quarterback. He’ll have the opportunity to flash his talent more this spring and during training camp.

“I’m just trying to show the coaches what I can do, hopefully get a chance to compete for that (starting) job,” Lewerke said. “Just do the best I can and execute the best I can.”