The Michigan State Spartans are in the midst of a program rebuild. After the Mel Tucker scandal, former Oregon State head coach Jonathan Smith was hired to help rebuild the program. While it was expected players would transfer out, Smith has been active in the portal so far. He got his biggest win yet when former Beavers quarterback Aidan Chiles announced he was committing to coming to East Lansing next year.
🚨BREAKING: Oregon State transfer QB Aidan Chiles has committed to Michigan State, per @PeteThamel.
Chiles is the No. 5 QB in the On3 Industry Transfer Portal Rankings‼️https://t.co/BL2Fl8gvgk pic.twitter.com/WNZZna1suZ
— On3 (@On3sports) December 14, 2023
Michigan State Lands QB Aidan Chiles
Chiles was the 12th-ranked quarterback in the 2023 class. He is following his coach to East Lansing. Chiles had a very promising 2023. He is a dual-threat quarterback who racked up 309 yards passing and four touchdowns in nine games this season. He also ran 17 times for 79 yards and three scores. This is a huge win for Smith as all of the quarterbacks who were under scholarship left the program via the portal. For a rebuilding team, the quarterback position is the most important to figure out and the Spartans have their guy.
2024 Outlook
It is a brutal early-season schedule for the Spartans in 2024. Big Ten play kicks off with Ohio State and newcomer Oregon in back-to-back weeks. That is followed by games against Iowa and rival Michigan. The Spartans could easily find themselves in a 0-4 hole in the conference very quickly. The expectations are low for next year. It will take some time for Smith and his staff to build the roster and the culture of the program. While 2024 may be rough, the program seems to be heading in the right direction.
Getting Aidan Chiles is a huge win for the Spartans. 2024 might be rough but the future is looking bright in East Lansing.