Northwestern Quietly Scores Big With Commitment From Former Michigan State QB
In this story:
The college football transfer portal has become one of the sport’s most unpredictable spaces, especially at the quarterback position. Northwestern took a much quieter approach on Tuesday and still landed one of the more impactful additions of the cycle. The Wildcats secured a commitment from former Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles.
A Proven Big Ten Quarterback Arrives at Northwestern Wildcats
Aidan Chiles is far from a project player. He comes to Northwestern having appeared in 30 collegiate games. That includes 20 total starts during his career, with the majority coming over the last two seasons at Michigan State. In 21 games with the Spartans, Chiles threw for 3,807 yards and 23 touchdowns, while accounting for 4,259 total yards of offense.
🙂↕️ pic.twitter.com/wEWw88IQyM
— Aidan Chiles (@ai6an_) January 7, 2026
His ability to impact the game as both a passer and runner is one of his defining traits. Chiles has rushed for 531 yards and 12 touchdowns during his college career, giving defenses another layer to account for. He has recorded three games in which he both threw for a touchdown and rushed for another, including performances against Boston College and USC during the 2025 season.
Every quarterback has a defining performance, and for Chiles, that moment came during the 2025 season against No. 3 Indiana. In that game, he delivered one of the most efficient outings of any Big Ten quarterback all year. Chiles completed 27 of 33 passes for 243 yards and posted a 95.9 QBR.
He also made history by completing 20 consecutive passes, setting a Michigan State record and tying for the second-longest streak in Big Ten history. His 27 completions were the most allowed by Indiana all season, and his passing yardage trailed only Ohio State’s Julian Sayin against the Hoosiers.
Northwestern’s Offensive Reset Begins at Quarterback
Chiles’ commitment is a central piece of a larger offensive reset in Evanston. Head coach David Braun sent a clear message this offseason by hiring Chip Kelly as Northwestern’s new offensive coordinator. Kelly returns to the college game after a brief NFL stint and previously served as Ohio State’s offensive coordinator during its national championship run.
Chiles leaves Michigan State as the 18th quarterback in program history to surpass 3,000 passing yards. Across his career, he has totaled 4,647 yards of offense, a reflection of both durability and steady production.
Before an injury ended his 2025 season three games early, Chiles completed 63 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns and just three interceptions, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors. That followed a 2024 campaign in which he ranked ninth in the Big Ten in total offense and posted an improved 8-to-3 touchdown-to-interception ratio in the second half of the season.
A consensus four-star recruit out of Downey High School in California, Chiles was ranked as the No. 7 quarterback nationally by 247Sports and a top-60 overall prospect in his class. As a high school senior, he completed more than 73 percent of his passes for 3,350 yards and 38 touchdowns.
More from Northwestern On SI
Stay up to date on the Wildcats by bookmarking Northwestern On SI.
Shayni Maitra is a sports girl through and through writing about everything from locker room drama to game-day legends in the NFL and NBA. She’s covered the action for outlets like College Sports Network, Sportskeeda, EssentiallySports, NB Media, and PinkVilla, blending sharp takes with a deep love for storytelling. Whether it’s college football rivalries, Olympic gold-chasers, or the off-field chaos that keeps Twitter alive, Shayni brings the heat with heart—and just the right amount of humor.