Katin Houser was one of three Michigan State quarterbacks to leave the Green and White and enter the transfer portal after the arrival of Jonathan Smith.

Houser took his talents to East Carolina of the American Athletic Conference, a mid-major and a step down in competition than what he would face in the Big Ten Conference. The former four-star product of the prestigious St. John Bosco football powerhouse would surely make his name for the Pirates.

Not quite.

“We pulled the guys in Thursday and told them that Jake Garcia will be the starting quarterback,” head coach Mike Houston said, per MLive.com. “Katin handled it with extreme class and character, which you would expect him to. They both have had great preseasons and they both are capable of going out and playing at a very high level and we’re very, very fortunate to have both of them.”

Houser was redshirted as a freshman in 2022 and he stepped in last season as the starter in replacement for Noah Kim. Houser went 112 for 191 and six touchdowns to five interceptions with 1,130 passing yards. He also had two rushing touchdowns.

Stephen Igoe of 247Sports spoke with Houser after the announcement and said Houser showed a positive attitude.

“I talked with Houser for about a minute off the record upon his entry to practice and he seems to be in a good head space, all things considered. He had a sharp day with the number twos on Saturday in the scrimmage and seems determined to keep showing he’s worthy of the job through practice,” Igoe wrote.

Houser was a decorated quarterback at Bosco. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound was a finalist in the Elite 11 quarterback camp and a consensus Top 15 quarterback in the 2022 class (across Rivals, 247Sports, and On3). Houser helped Bosco to the No. 7 ranking in MaxPreps’ national rankings.

The Spartans are comfortable with their quarterback situation. Sophomore transfer Aidan Chiles has all of the hype and looks the part to be the signal-caller of the future for Smith. Tommy Schuster, another transfer, will be a valuable asset as a backup.

The two freshman quarterbacks, Alessio Milivojevic and Ryland Jesse have earned positive feedback from the Spartans staff so far.

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DETROIT — Michigan’s first “Shark Tank” style competition is now taking applications from startups with innovative transportation solutions.

The winner of the inaugural “PitchMI” competition, which will be held Oct. 24 in Detroit, will receive $100,000 from the state to develop or improve their prototype solution.

“PitchMI will unleash Michigan’s innovative spirit, strengthen our entrepreneurial ecosystem, create good paying jobs, and spur new ideas on the future of mobility,” said Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. “I can’t wait to see all the creative ideas and look forward to the competition in October.”

Whitmer likened the competition to Shark Tank, a long-running reality TV show where entrepreneurs present their product or business to venture capitalists for potential investment.

Gov. Whitmer announces ‘Shark Tank’ style statewide competition

Applications for the PitchMI competition are due by 11:59 p.m. Sept. 16. People can submit their applications at this link, which also contains information on eligibility and competition requirements.

Eligible pitches will focus on addressing mobility and transportation challenges in the state, focusing on improving safety, affordability and efficiency in how Michiganders travel from point A to point B.

Some examples, according to the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), include innovations in public transit, personal vehicles, ride-sharing, cycling, walking, ground/maritime/air mobility and emerging technologies.

“This competition offers our entrepreneurs a stage to share their ideas with the world and demonstrate yet again that Michigan is at the cutting edge of innovation,” said Hilary Doe, chief growth officer at the MEDC. “Investing in entrepreneurs and innovators will help our state become a magnet for both businesses and talent, working together to drive population growth.

“Supporting entrepreneurs in starting and scaling their businesses will also create a more prosperous place to live for all Michiganders.”

The competition will see applications whittled down to four finalists that will then present their pitches Oct. 24 at the MI Future Mobility Conference in Detroit.

Judges from “the state, in partnership with leading organizations,” will then select the most innovative startup to invest $100,000 in, according to the Governor’s Office.

Runners-up will not be awarded any funds, and MEDC officials said the names of the judges will be announced later on.

The PitchMI competition was first announced May 30 by Whitmer during her keynote speech at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island.

Entrepreneurs and innovators and their benefit to economic development and moving Michigan forward was the key topic of Whitmer’s speech.

The Shark Tank style competition was one of three ways Whitmer announced the state would be looking to help entrepreneurs be successful.

She also announced a new executive order intended to connect startups with high tech equipment and specialized testing facilities already present in the state and the creation of a new role at the MEDC designed to be the state’s chief advocate for entrepreneurs.

Michigan State football is readying for its opening contest in Spartan Stadium against Florida Atlantic, which is arriving fast.

Fall camp has been a successful one for Coach Jonathan Smith, whose staff has implemented new systems on each side of the ball, as well as evaluated the mixture of returning talent and transfer portal grabs.

Michigan State recently announced its five captains for the 2024 season — quarterback Aidan Chiles, running back Nate Carter, center Tanner Miller, linebacker Jordan Turner and defensive lineman Maverick Hansen.

Chiles’ naming as a team captain is significant for many reasons. Chiles, still just 18 years old, is young even by true sophomore standards. He also hasn’t played a starting rep as a college quarterback, let alone for the Spartans.

Chiles was the presumed starter ever since his highly anticipated East Lansing arrival in December. All of the attention has been on the young signal-caller, and he has looked the part so far and even showed signs of it as a true freshman earning reps at Oregon State. Chiles has a lively arm and he is a big-time threat running the ball. He can get yards or extend plays.

Carter will get the majority of the carries this season alongside transfer back Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams. Carter was the Spartans’ leading rusher last season (he started all 12 games) and he is looking to take another step with an improved offense around him.

Carter is the right kind of running back for offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren and running backs coach Keith Bhonapha. He can receive out of the backfield, block, has good vision as a runner, and most importantly, he falls forward.

Miller was another big transfer addition that followed Smith from Corvallis. Miller received some All-American recognition last season and was a first-team All-Pac 12 selection. He will be the most experienced player on the offensive line and its heartbeat as the center.

Turner is will likely take over the Spartans defense as the Mike linebacker in Joe Rossi’s scheme. Turner has received praise for his physical playstyle and his feel for the game has earned him the honor of wearing Rossi’s mic’ed up helmet during some practices. Rossi said it will be more of a player-based decision than a position-based one. Turner might just be the player to have earned it.

Hansen has played in 41 career games and made eight starts in his five seasons at Michigan State. He is a vocal veteran, so it is no surprise that Hansen earned his captaincy.

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