Michigan State's Aidan Chiles and the offense takes the field before the game against Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Aidan Chiles 'Means Business' This Year for Michigan State

Originally posted on Michigan State Spartans on SI
By Jacob Cotsonika | Last updated Aug 23, 2025 10:56 AM ET

This fall, Michigan State is just one of five out of 18 Big Ten teams that will have the same starting quarterback as it did last season. While this is only Aidan Chiles' second season playing in East Lansing, it may as well be his third, given that he followed his head coach Jonathan Smith and offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren to MSU from Oregon State and had a year to learn the system in Corvallis.

Chiles had an up-and-down season last year in what was his first experience as a starting quarterback in college. But anyone who watched him play saw the flashes of potential Chiles exuded, such as throwing for 363 yards and three touchdowns in a come-from-behind win at Maryland last year.

The tricky part, of course, is magnifying those good aspects, athleticism and playmaking ability, and trying to erase the blowback that also comes with it, like his Big Ten-high 11 interceptions.

Leadership

Something about Chiles that never gets questioned, though, is his leadership. He was a team captain last year and was voted by his teammates to receive the "C" patch on his jersey once again this season. He was the only one of the five captains that received the honor for a second consecutive year.

"He's stepped up, man, big time," sophomore wide receiver Nick Marsh said earlier this week. "He's leading the offense even more than he did last year, a little more vocal. The energy is still felt, and you can feel that he means business."

What Coaches are Saying

"I just think for him, man, another year being in the offense, you can tell that the game's slowing down for him, that he understands the details of our offense a lot better than he did last year," wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins said.

"Last year was his first year being the guy. ... I think he's figured out what it takes, the more studying he needs to do. I think he's taking more of a leadership role of actually grabbing the wideouts and saying, 'OK, look. Let's watch a little film. Let's get some extra throws in.' You're seeing more of that than you'd seen last year, and it's actually really good to see."

"In the scrimmages, he's taken care of the ball," head coach Jonathan Smith said. "That's been good to see in two scrimmages. Now again, we ain't tackling him yet and all that, but I've seen growth. You can feel some command out there.

"Scrimmage situation, down and distance, ball moves, that kind of thing, anticipating calls, it's coming out of huddle, it's crisp, he gets to the line of scrimmage, he's seen it before, getting us in the right play, all of that as well."

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