In football, the story is mostly about the quarterbacks until you have one. At Michigan State, that story isn’t going away, at least not until Andrew Maxwell or Connor Cook or someone else proves, without question, they’re the guy.

I wrote about that competition in my Sunday LSJ column. Here is its for those who missed it in print (or only use the internet for leisure at work): Connor Cook wins the day, as MSU’s QB race comes into focus.

The basic premise is that this race is no longer just up to Andrew Maxwell’s development. Cook’s ceiling may simply be higher.

But there were other moments and players of intrigue during Saturday’s spring game. Here are three that stood out:

1. DeAnthony Arnett’s story isn’t over.

It was hard not to feel good for Arnett Saturday. Whatever his errors, be it in ego or adjustment or youth, MSU’s junior wideout doesn’t deserve the constant and obsessive critical eye he’s received since transferring from Tennessee.

Until Saturday — through last week’s spring game player draft (when Arnett was chosen eighth among underclassman receivers by his teammates) — I thought Arnett was buried so far on the depth chart that he’d be better served redshirting this season, if he stuck around at all.

My perspective lacked patience (though I wasn’t as impatient with Arnett as many of you).

Saturday, he caught two passes for 30 yards, his first a 22-yard touchdown against double coverage on 3rd-and-20 just before halftime. It was a good throw by Cook and nice concentration by Arnett, who looked the ball in and got himself between the ball and cornerback Arjen Calquhoun.

Just as important, I thought, was his next catch, an 8-yard grab in the third quarter, because he was clearly the target of the play for Cook and defensive coordinator Pat Narduzzi’s Green team. He went in motion and then caught a bubble screen, before making a strong move inside for the bulk of the yardage.

On both occasions, Arnett looked like a legit playmaker. MSU needs those. If he continues to show that, it’ll be difficult to keep him out of the mix at wideout.

2. Lawrence Thomas is a critical piece to the defense.

On a defense full of playmakers and without many (if any) real holes, the behemoth redshirt sophomore gives MSU something it doesn’t have — a difference-making athlete on its interior defensive line.

One play stood out Saturday, the sort of play we didn’t see over the center from MSU last season, even from a defensive ranked No. 4 in the country.

On 2nd-and-3, on the White team’s second possession, Thomas pushed aside starting center Travis Jackson to stuff running back Jeremy Langford at the line of scrimmage. It was the type of disruption Jerel Worthy used to cause. And, on a defense that appears to have everything else (including two young, emerging corners to complement Darqueze Dennard), Thomas might be what makes this crew even more staunch than a year ago.

3. Riley Bullough has something to him as a running back.

Mark Dantonio saw it last season, when Bullough was used as a running back on the scout team to prepare for Iowa. The rest of us saw it Saturday. Bullough isn’t simply a big, fast guy. He’s a fairly natural runner.

Playing running back is as much about instinct and hips as it is speed. It’s what made Sedrick Irvin great at MSU 15 years ago and his presumed successor, Shawn Foster, a memory only to those of us who attended Lansing’s Sexton High School. Foster might have completed an 100-meter dash before Irvin found the 50-yard line. But Irvin had wiggle, hips and instinct.

Likewise, Bullough has a knack for running the football. I’m not sure the arrival of touted and sizable backs Gerald Holmes, Delton Williams will be enough to send Bullough back to linebacker to back up his older brother.

He showed too much in 11 carries for 46 yards Saturday. And, it seems, had shown his coaches and teammates too much even before then.

If you missed any of our other spring game coverage, here’s a breakdown of what we saw from the defense and what to expect this season, per colleague Chris Solari, and a similar analysis of the offense, from colleague Brian Calloway, as well as an overview from Joe Rexrode.

And here’s a photo gallery from LSJ photographer Kevin Fowler.

EAST LANSING — This was just one afternoon of many this spring for Michigan State, one scrimmage of several.

But, today, Connor Cook is MSU’s best quarterback. Not just in the numbers, but in the eye-test, the way the offense moved.

The sophomore finished 10-of-26 passing for 217 yards and one touchdown. He missed on more than a few throws and had a couple dropped, but he made some plays and the wideouts around him did, too.

Cook might have had the best two receivers on this roster on his side — Aaron Burbridge (5 catches, 113 yards) and Bennie Fowler (4 catches, 84 yards) — but you have to make the best of what you have and, today, he did that better than Andrew Maxwell.

Maxwell found a rhythm late in helping the White team to a 24-17 win over Green, finishing 9-for-20 for 110 yards, with a late game-winning 46-yard pass to A.J. Troup (through Troup made the play with his cut up field).

Tyler O’Connor, we learned, isn’t ready to be part of the competition. He made a couple nice throws, but he also had two brutal interceptions, one killing a drive, another a pick-six.

For a team that relies on its defense — for any team, really — you can’t risk those errors.

This competition clearly isn’t over. Cook, based on what we saw today, can’t be far behind Maxwell in the coaches’ eyes, if he is at all. He might even be ahead.

It’ll be an interesting August, one that’ll also include heralded incoming recruit Damion Terry. It’s hard for a true freshman to win a starting QB job. But he’s not chasing John Elway here.

Off to postgame interviews. Curious to see what Dantonio says.

EAST LANSING — MSU’s offense has had a few decent moments in this first half (White leads 14-10, its defense scoring both TDs). But, based on one half of this spring football game, none of these QBs look ready to be the Spartans’ answer this fall. Not as of right now.

Andrew Maxwell (White team) is 3-for-12 passing for 18 yards. Tyler O’Connor is 3-for-5 for 59 yards, but with two INTs (one that killed a drive, another pick-six). And Connor Cook is 6-for-17 for 162 yards and a TD.

Aaron Burbridge appears ready to be a playmaker. He has four catches for 79 yards, including one terrific one-handed tip for a catch downfield. Bennie Fowler, after drop near the goal line, has bounced back with three catches for 76 yards. He made a terrific adjustment for on a throw behind him, settled and took off for 63 yards.

DeAnthony Arnett also had a big play, a nice adjustment in the end zone for a 27-yard score from Cook.

In Maxwell’s defense, MSU’s best two wideouts — today, at least — are on the other team. That said, Maxwell drafted Keith Mumphery over Burbridge.

Maxwell isn’t making plays. MSU’s other QBs are, though, in O’Connor’s case, sometimes for the other team.

More after the game.

No matter what Andrew Maxwell, Connor Cook and Tyler O’Connor do today at Spartan Stadium, they won’t be the best QB in the house.

Kirk Cousins is here, broadcasting the Michigan State spring game for the Big Ten Network. The Washington Redskins quarterback and former MSU star spoke for 15 minutes this afternoon in the in press box.

We’ll have coverage of that from Brian Calloway and Joe Rexrode in a bit (and you can find a few highlights on my Twitter feed, @graham_couch).

Cousins addressed the quarterback competition, reflecting on his 2009 spring battle with Keith Nichol. Both had huge spring games that year.

“It’s challenging. You feel a pressure,” Cousins said. “It’s only a spring game and the stadium’s half full. The weather’s not ideal today and it’s only April. But you feel the pressure when you’re in a quarterback competition because you’re waiting for your job.

“Playing the quarterback position is all about rising to the occasion and not let that pressure effect you in a negative way.”

Cousins later said the battle between Maxwell and Cook (he said he doesn’t know much about O’Connor) will come down to this: “How well Connor runs the show and how well Andrew creates. … That will probably sway the decision.”

We’ll get to see both today.

More at halftime.

For the rest of our pregame coverage, visit lsj.com or greenandwhite.com

Gary Harris’ announcement that he’ll return to Michigan State for his sophomore season made Thursday a pretty good day in the MSU sports world.

As I wrote in today’s column, I think Harris is more critical to MSU’s success next season than is Adreian Payne. But having Payne back, too, would make the Spartans’ the clearer Big Ten favorite and a national title contender.

Noteworthy in the timing of Harris’ announcement was that it wasn’t a joint announcement with Payne.

I thought, perhaps, the reason Harris took so long to make his decision public was that MSU’s hoped to announce, in one press conference, they were both returning. And maybe that was the hope.

That it didn’t happen that way doesn’t mean Payne’s gone, but it speaks to the notion that Harris and Payne are individual cases, facing different variables in their decisions.

But it also means Payne isn’t ready to say he’s staying, which only adds to the probability that he’s leaving.

… Also on Thursday, I took note of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ firing of coach Byron Scott after three seasons. Remember, this could have been Tom Izzo’s LeBron-less job. Cavs owner Dan Gilbert is an MSU guy, so Izzo might have had a longer leash or simply have done a better job. But the NBA is a players league. There’s only so much winning a coach could do with that roster over the last three years. It’s very possible that if Izzo had left for the Cavs, he’d be out of a job today — headed for broadcasting and/or, eventually, another college job.

… Lastly, many of us have enjoyed Doug Anderson’s dunks, from two weeks ago, when he won college basketball’s slam dunk contest, dating back to his days at Mott Community College and, before that, at Kalamazoo Central High School.

Late Thursday night, at Western Michigan University’s rec center, Anderson and Springs (from And-1) put on a dunking exhibition during an event sponsored by Andre Ricks and his clothing line, Raw Impact.

Anderson’s final dunk was the best dunk I’ve ever seen live. I wish I had video of it (I did of a couple others and a few failed attempts). Other camera phones were rolling, so I hope it winds up on YouTube.

Anderson lobbed the ball in the air and caught it off the bounce. Nothing special, except he caught it from well outside the paint. I’ve never seen it done with that explosion and that distance before.

The most interesting moment to date of Michigan State’s spring happened Wednesday evening inside the Clara Bell Smith auditorium — the spring game player draft.

The seniors, divided into “Green” and “White” teams, drafted their underclassman teammates, one position group at a time, for Saturday’s spring game at Spartan Stadium.

Here are the results, order and team, per colleague Brian Calloway, on the Spartan Shadows blog.

Entering the evening, the most intriguing position groups were the receivers and quarterbacks.

Keith Mumphery, somewhat surprisingly, was the first receiver taken, followed by Aaron Burbridge and then, stunningly, walk-on AJ Troup. Monty Madaris fell further than I expected, chosen seventh, followed by DeAnthony Arnett, eighth.

Senior QB Andrew Maxwell cited his comfort and familiarity with Mumphery as part of the reason for the selection. He said Troup is one of the most improved players he’s ever seen.

Arnett, once a prized transfer and recruit, apparently hasn’t gained much ground in the eyes of his teammates after spending last season in the abyss of the depth chart.

Sophomore Connor Cook was selected ahead of redshirt freshman Tyler O’Connor, who will play for both teams. It should be noted that the “Green” team, which doesn’t have Maxwell, didn’t seem in a hurry to choose a QB, perhaps a sign of little separation between Cook and O’Connor.

Riley Bullough was the first running back taken, selected by “White” spokesman Max Bullough, who simply said, “My brother” in choosing his brother.

“Riley has certainly made an impression,” Maxwell said.

The selection of the younger Bullough speaks to the issues at the position. Jeremy Langford was taken next, followed by Nick Hill.

Some of my colleagues were surprised that Lawrence Thomas was the first defensive tackle selected. I wasn’t. Thomas probably would have been the first running back or tight end selected, too, if he played those position. Kittredge went next. I think this was more a sign of what Thomas can be than anything negative about Kittredge, who had a nice season in 2012.

Shalique Calhoun was chosen ahead of Marcus Rush, also a slight surprise, but telling of Calhoun’s abilities.

It’ll be interesting to see how this draft translates on Saturday.

Michigan State’s seniors will draft their teams late this afternoon (moved to 5 p.m.) for Saturday’s spring football game.

It’s an entertaining process at the Clara Bell Smith Center auditorium, one that gives us a sense how MSU’s players view and rank their younger teammates.

“Doing this, I don’t think you can really play heart games,” senior Chris Norman said last year, after helping the White team choose its roster. “You just kind of have to go for who you think can get the job done.”

The rules …

Once a position is opened up, the rest of the position has to be selected before moving to the next position.

And coach Mark Dantonio reserves the right to make any necessary adjustments.

Last year, Will Gholston was taken with the first pick.

The surprise of the last year’s draft came when wideout Andre Sims Jr. was selected ahead of DeAnthony Arnett and Keith Mumphery. It was the first public sign Arnett might not immediately live up to his billing, and made Sims a receiver to watch heading into August.

This year’s draft is more intriguing because of MSU’s two young quarterbacks, Connor Cook and Tyler O’Connor, and its bevy of underclassman receivers.

QB Andrew Maxwell, the starter at this point, is a senior, so he’ll be drafting, instead of being drafted. But we’ll find out whether MSU’s players would rather have Cook or O’Connor.

And, other than senior Bennie Fowler, we’ll find out where the Spartan wideouts rank in the minds of their older teammates.

It’s not an exact science, but it’s a decent snapshot, and one from those who are closest to the action.

Twitter accounts to follow during the draft, which, again, begins at 5 p.m. (moved from 2 p.m.) …

@MSU_Football, @Graham_Couch and @JoeRexrode.

It’s hard not to notice the stats coming out of Michigan State’s spring football scrimmages.

And who’s behind those numbers.

For example, quarterback Andrew Maxwell appears to be getting it done — 31-of-45 passing for 317 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions — through two scrimmages, the most recent on Saturday. His numbers have surpassed Connor Cook and Tyler O’Connor, both chasing Maxwell for the starting gig, deemed an open competition before the spring began.

The running back situation also looks a bit more clear — as in no one who began this spring on the depth chart is likely to be the primary ball-carrier this season.

None of it is fair, to any player, either way. Not from our judgement. Because we haven’t seen anything.

RELATED: Much of MSU’s fate again rests in hands of maligned but maturing receivers (my Sunday column)

The scrimmages aren’t open to anyone who isn’t supposed to first be concerned with the interest of MSU’s football team. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s Mark Dantonio’s program and he can open it up as much or little as he wants. And MSU might be better served without a media contingent hardly devoid of football buffoons judging third downs in early April.

But until objective eyes are allowed to see Maxwell and the running backs in full action, the numbers (even with press release descriptions) come without context, for better or worse. Same as they did last year. Same as they did in Ann Arbor, when university-generated numbers led to gushing media reports about Denard Robinson completing 70 percent of his passes. And, even so, somehow he still wasn’t able to finish his college career playing quarterback.

This isn’t to say the numbers at MSU are fudged (though it does happen some places and has, apparently, in some eras with the Spartans). It wouldn’t make sense to do so right now. We’ll see the product eventually.

They are giving us their version of a game report. I believe honestly. But it’s their version.

Wait and see for yourself. Hopefully you’ll get the chance — or, at the very least, through another set of eyes — at next Saturday’s spring game.

For the sake of perception, MSU could use a mostly healthy roster, with its best playing against its best in front of its fans. Nothing hidden. Nothing permanent, either. But a chance for Maxwell and his receivers, etc., to earn the confidence of folks beyond his teammates. Or to not.

Last season, Maxwell missed the spring game and expectations created only through spoken word carried into the season. That didn’t help Maxwell, MSU’s program or its fans. Better to know the truth. If these numbers are reflect it, you might be pleasantly surprised.

Sometimes it’s not what you have as much as who you’re playing. And what they have.

Next year’s Big Ten, as a basketball conference, won’t be nearly as strong as this season. That’s to be expected. This was the best year for the league in at least two decades, maybe since the 80s.

Losing at least three likely lottery picks (Victor Oladipo, Cody Zeller and Trey Burke) and the league’s leading scorer (Deshaun Thomas) ahead of schedule to the NBA draft is an undeniable blow to the level of basketball. And there might be more defections coming.

But even if they include Michigan State’s Adreian Payne — as of Wednesday, there was silence from Payne and Gary Harris — the Spartans should be at or near the top of this reshaped Big Ten.

It’s not that Payne isn’t a significant player. It’s what’s left in the program and in the program behind Payne. And, of course, comparatively with the rest of the conference.

Indiana loses four starters, Michigan the national player of the year (and probably one or two more players), Ohio State the bulk of its offense. And Wisconsin, three critical seniors, though not to the NBA.

MSU, with a projected lineup of Keith Appling, Gary Harris, Branden Dawson, Alex Gauna and Matt Costello, should be a top-15 team.

The core of its perimeter bench stays intact (Denzel Valentine and Travis Trice) and it adds a sharpshooting 4-man (albeit only in practice thus far) in Kenny Kaminski.

And, most importantly, Dawson, Costello, Trice, Harris and Valentine shouldn’t return as the same players they were this season. All of them are essentially entering the pivotal summer between their freshman and sophomore years — Dawson and Trice included, because they missed out last summer due to injury or illness.

MSU’s biggest challenge (early prediction): Iowa.

And, depending what comes out of Ann Arbor in the next few days, Michigan.

That’s with or without Payne.

With him … well, let’s wait.

Living in the moment is a struggle sometimes in life.

For fans of team or school — media members, too — this shows itself regularly. Last night included.

In newspaper columns and online fan comments, some of the response to Michigan’s national championship loss to Louisville focused on the notion of a brighter tomorrow, how good the Wolverines could be next year and beyond.

I’ve always loved the optimism of fans (myself, at certain times, too) — the ability to shake off disappointment with hopes about what’s next.

It’s a healthy perspective, to keep sports in perspective. But the speed in which it happens is also a little warped.

Michigan just lost the national title game. Even if Trey Burke returns (he won’t) along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary, it’ll be a chore for the Wolverines to get back to this point. For any team to make a championship game runs take some measure of luck, through a favorable matchup (VCU, Syracuse) or a big shot (Kansas).

The moment really ought to be mourned for a minute longer. U-M was so close to a title and missed. This is the entire reason the Wolverines played all those games — to get here.

It was an incredible three-week run that should be appreciated. Sometime soon. Not so much last night or this morning.

The drive to compete in sports centers around winning a championship. To think about next season already — all the nonleague cupcakes and Big Ten roadies alike — or the future of the program long-term is premature.

Michigan could be better next year. Have a better season up through late March. And not make the Final Four. It’s hard to get there. Let the loss sting for a minute.

If shouldn’t always be so quickly about next year.