MSU QB Aidan Chiles Building Chemistry With New Receivers

Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles will be throwing to mostly new receivers in 2024, but one familiar presence is helping with the transition...

One of the more overlooked, but important, things about playing quarterback is the chemistry you have with your receivers.

That's what Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles, who transferred in from Oregon State this offseason, is starting to develop with a bunch of new pass-catchers in East Lansing. That may be one of the more challenging parts of the sophomore's transition. There's no shortcut. There's no substitute. Chiles and his receivers have to put in the work, and that's what's underway right now in MSU's spring practice.

"I think all of these guys are really proving themselves right now," Chiles said when asked which Spartan receivers were standing out. "It's going to take a little bit more, we've only had four practices, but I think all the guys can play a big role for us in the fall. We talk, we throw, we do whatever. We communicate all the time, we watched film together, we do everything we need to do. We work out together all the time, so it really just comes with reps now."

Michigan State returns a pair of veterans at wide receiver in redshirt seniors Montorie Foster Jr. and Alante Brown, but the rest of the position group is filled with guys still looking to prove themselves at the college level. Among those young guys, only redshirt sophomore Jaron Glover has gotten a true taste of what it's like to contribute at the collegiate level. With that said, MSU has several other young options like redshirt sophomore Antonio Gates Jr. and true freshman Nick March.

At tight end, Chiles will have something of a security blanket in junior transfer Jack Velling — the lone pass-catcher who the quarterback built some chemistry with a year ago at Oregon State.

"It's good, simply because I threw it to him last year," Chiles said of Velling. "So, really, you can get the reps with them but I already have the reps with him. So, I still get the reps with him just to polish it up a little bit but fun."

The tight end is enjoying having Chiles in East Lansing with him as well.

"It's been great," Velling said. "It's great having him over here. Another guy who's been in Coach Smith's program to help kind of drive the culture. It's great having him over here and he's obviously talented and he's a good guy to have over, for sure."

The Michigan State Spartan Football Spring Green and White Game (Spring Showcase) will be held at the High Cathedral of the Spartan Nation, Spartan Stadium, on April 20, 2024, at 2 p.m.

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