Aidan Chiles discusses why he chose Michigan State

Michigan State was able to land Aidan Chiles this offseason thanks to Jonathan Smith. But why else did Chiles choose MSU?

Not long ago, the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal committed to Michigan State. That quarterback is Aidan Chiles and his commitment sparked an elite recruiting run for the Spartans over the past two months.

Chiles played at Oregon State under Jonathan Smith for one season before deciding to transfer to Michigan State. Chiles, however, could’ve gone to almost any school in the country, but he still chose Michigan State.

In a recent interview, Aidan opened up about why he chose to transfer to Michigan State.

Aidan Chiles discusses why he chose MSU

The obvious answer that everyone knows is that Chiles wanted to keep playing for Smith. But why was that so important to him?

Aidan shared that, “He (Smith) showed that he’s a genuine guy and he really cares about you as a person and not just a player. That really just stuck with me, and we’ve had a stronger bond since then.”

Chiles also was drawn to the Big Ten as a whole. Especially considering what has happened to the Pac-12, it’s no surprise he wants to play in one of the best conferences in the country. He said, “Everything that went down with the Pac-12, it made the decision a little easier for everyone.”

Lastly, Chiles spoke a little bit about Spartan Nation. The Michigan State fanbase and excitement that’s always around the program was part of Smith’s pitch to get Chiles to follow him to East Lansing. He had this to share about Smith’s pitch:

“Playing in front of 75,000, 80,000 compared to 30,000, and then the love and support you get out here (MSU), and how invested everyone just is,” Chiles said. “He didn’t really have to sell me too much. I wanted to play for him.”

So there you have it. On the surface, it seemed like Chiles chose Michigan State just to keep playing for his coach. But there was a lot more to do with it than that. He also fell in love with the school and fanbase immediately and wants to play in a conference where he will be challenged.

Chiles’ first season in East Lansing is still quite some time from now, but I know all of Spartan Nation is eagerly anticipating seeing Chiles trot out onto the field for the first time.