Why it Didn't Work for Aidan Chiles at Michigan State
In this story:
When Aidan Chiles announced his commitment to play football at Michigan State in December of 2023, Spartan fans thought they had a future star at the most important position in the game.
Instead, Chiles’ MSU career was filled with frustration and disappointment, as he battled turnovers and bad offensive line play that never allowed him to develop into the player he was supposed to be.
Chiles followed Jonathan Smith to East Lansing from Oregon State, but the promise of a program-defining quarterback never materialized. Now, with Smith fired, Chiles won’t be part of MSU’s future plans, announcing his intention to enter the transfer portal.
What went wrong for Chiles at MSU? Let’s break down why he didn’t develop into a star with the Spartans.
The Aidan Chiles-MSU fallout
Chiles was a young starting quarterback for the Spartans at the beginning of the 2024 season, only 18 years old and handed the keys to a Big Ten offense. That can be daunting for even high-level prospects like Chiles.
When a quarterback is taking over an offense in a first-time capacity, like Chiles was, you would think it would behoove the coaching staff to give him some easy routes and a reliable run game so he doesn’t have to bear so strong a load.
Instead, MSU’s receivers ran routes that took far too long to develop, and its offensive line did not hold up for Chiles. All these issues were compounded by a quarterback who struggled to read defenses and committed several unforced turnovers.
Those things were rough in his first season, but MSU would surely improve the offensive line, run game, and receivers around Chiles, right?
In theory, the offseason moves should have helped Chiles. But they didn’t.
The offensive line additions of Matt Gulbin and Conner Moore were supposed to give Chiles more time to throw to his new, more explosive receivers, Omari Kelly and Chrishon McCray. Those players had fine individual seasons, but the offense did not improve overall.
Chiles improved individually and looked like a different quarterback through the first four games of the season. Then, injuries caught up with him, ending his season and allowing Alessio Milivojevic to step into the starting role.
The worst-case scenario then happened to Chiles. Milivojevic looked much better than him as the starting quarterback, and new MSU coach Pat Fitzgerald prioritized him.
The writing was on the wall when Smith was fired, and Chiles will now find a new place to play football in 2026.
It didn’t work out in East Lansing, but Spartan fans still want to see Chiles succeed elsewhere.
Keep up with all our content when you follow the official Spartan Nation page on Facebook, Spartan Nation, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE, and be sure to share your thoughts on Aidan Chiles entering the transfer portal when you join our community group, Go Green Go White, WHEN YOU CLICK RIGHT HERE.
Don't forget to give us a follow on X @MSUSpartansOnSI as well.
Never again miss one major story related to your beloved Spartans when you sign up for our 100% FREE newsletter that comes straight to your email with the latest news. SIGN UP HERE NOW
Carter Landis studied journalism at Michigan State University, where I graduated in May of 2022. He is currently a sports reporter for a local television station and is a writer covering the Michigan State Spartans