Michigan State's Jonathan Smith, Players React To Aidan Chiles' Spring Performance

We got our first full look at sophomore quarterback Aidan Chiles at Michigan State's spring game, and it's easy to see what the hype is about...

After months of anticipation, Spartan fans finally got to see what all the hype surrounding transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles was about when Michigan State hosted its "Spring Showcase" on Saturday.

On a cold and windy day in East Lansing, Chiles threw for 103 yards and a touchdown while completing 7-of-14 pass attempts, and we saw his dual-threat abilities on display when he scrambled for 17 yards on a 3rd-and-10 to keep a drive alive. Michigan State head coach Jonathan Smith was pleased with what he saw from his sophomore signal-caller.

"Yeah, I thought he [Chiles] threw it accurately, moved his feet well," Smith said after the event. "I think it helped that he got a little run game going, Nate [Carter] had a nice carry."

The Spartans' offense got out to a fast start, with Chiles finding wide receiver Montorie Foster Jr. for a 22-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage and tailback Carter scoring from 48 yards out on the second play. In all, Chiles led Michigan State's offense on three scoring drives (two touchdowns and a field goal), which was impressive given the limited playbook the coaching staff was willing to show to the masses.

"I think on both sides of it, we wanted to [run our] base package but not show too much, right? This is all over TV and what not," Smith said. "But, he looked comfortable and guys made some plays for him in the pass game, which was great to see."

Chiles' touchdown pass came on the second drive he led, finding Carter out of the backfield and in the end zone for a 17-yard score.

"Since Day 1, he came in and he's been a leader," Carter said of Chiles. "Outspoken leader, he's been motivating the guys, helping the guys. You never see him get too high, you never see him get too low. He's always a level-headed kid and that's what I love about him."

Michigan State safety Dillon Tatum believes Chiles will be one of the top quarterbacks in the Big Ten by the time the 2024 season winds down.

"Aidan has great size," Tatum said. "I think he runs really, really well and you see the arm that was put on display today, it was very good. Elite-level quarterback. Aidan Chiles is going to continously give us work [as a defense] and we're going to continue to get better. I think he's going to be on top of the Big Ten, if not on top of the country, this year."

Michigan State's players have rallied behind Chiles this spring, as the Spartans look to turn things around following a pair of difficult seasons in 2022 and 2023.

"He's [Chiles] a good human being, he's a great guy to hang around with, he's funny, he's goofy, he's just a quarterback that you would want on your team," Carter said. "He not only leads us, he leads his own [quarterback] room, he leads the entire team and we all gravitate towards him, so he's a great addition to Spartan football."

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