Michigan State lands top transfer QB Aidan Chiles from Oregon State

Jonathan Smith appears to have a new starting quarterback with a major transfer addition he knows well.

Michigan State’s new coach secured a commitment from Aidan Chiles, a former four-star prospect who played for him as a true freshman this season at Oregon State and announced the move Thursday on social media. He will be a midyear addition with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

That’s a critical pickup for the Spartans, who had all three scholarship quarterbacks enter the portal after the season ended in redshirt junior Noah Kim, redshirt freshman Katin Houser and true freshman Sam Leavitt. Smith brought six assistant coaches with him from the Beavers, including offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren.

Chiles is the No. 1 quarterback transfer quarterback available, according to 247Sports. He entered his name in the portal on Dec. 4 and was in East Lansing for an official visit last weekend. “I talked to Coach Smith, and at the end of the day, I told him, ‘I came to play for you,’” Chiles told ESPN. “‘Wherever you go, that’s where I want to be.’” At 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, Chiles was listed as the No. 12 quarterback and No. 152 player overall in the 2023 recruiting class in the 247Sports Composite rankings. The Southern California native was the lone quarterback and highest-rated member of Oregon State’s signing class although Smith also added DJ Uiagalelei, a transfer from Clemson.

Uiagalelei took over as the starter and had a strong season, throwing for 2,638 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions while rushing for six scores in 12 games before entering the portal on Nov. 30. Chiles still carved out a role as a true freshman this fall and flashed a dual-threat skillset. He completed 68.5 percent of his passes (24-for-35) for 309 yards, four touchdowns and zero interceptions and rushed for 79 yards and three scores.

With Kim (committed to Coastal Carolina), Houser and Leavitt (Arizona State) all departing via the portal, Chiles is positioned to be the lone scholarship quarterback on the roster but Smith will certainly need to add depth at the position. Michigan State’s new head coach is a former Pasadena, Calif., native who went from walk-on quarterback to a standout starter at Oregon State.

“He talked to me as a person, not as a player,” Chiles told ESPN of Smith. “I liked having a conversation with a coach who cares for my wellbeing.”

Michigan State is coming off a turbulent season in which coach Mel Tucker was suspended and then fired for cause in September and longtime assistant Harlon Barnett took over as interim coach. The Spartans dropped six straight at one point to finish 4-8 and were outscored be a combined margin of 170-10 in losses to Washington, Michigan, Ohio State and Penn State.

In addition to being blown out by top-10 teams, Michigan State’s offense was woefully ineffective amid inconsistent quarterback play and an almost nonexistent run game. The Spartans averaged only 15.9 points per game – the second-lowest total in the nation behind only Kent State (14.7) – and were 125th out of 130 teams in total offense at 289.3 yards per game. Those are both the lowest totals for the program since 1991.