Jonathan Smith's quarterback of the future is now Michigan State football's quarterback of the future.
The Spartans received a commitment Monday from Oregon State transfer Aidan Chiles, who will follow his former coach to East Lansing. According to 247 Sports, he is the second-best player and top quarterback in the transfer portal. Chiles confirmed his plans on social media on Thursday with a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The 6-foot, 200-pound native of Downey, California (a suburb of Los Angeles) played nine games as a true freshman for the Beavers, with Smith Chiles starting every third series behind starter DJ Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei, who transferred from Clemson to Oregon State before the season, also entered the portal as a graduate transfer.
A dual-threat, Chiles went 24-for-35 passing (68.6%) for 309 yards and four touchdowns in nine games this season. He ran 17 times for 79 yards and three scores. The former four-star prospect in the 2023 recruiting class was rated No. 12 at QB and No. 152 overall recruit in 247 Sports' composite rankings.
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Chile's best performance came on November 11 in the Beavers' 62-17 victory over Stanford. He completed five of eight passes for 75 yards and a touchdown and had a 1-yard rushing score and another 20-yard run.
Bringing the Chiles now fills an area of need for Smith, who saw all three MSU scholarship quarterbacks in the portal after his hiring was announced on Nov. 25. Redshirt freshman Katin Houser and redshirt junior Noah Kim started every game together this season. The third true freshman, Sam Leavitt, is an Oregon native who was passed over by Smith in Chiles' recruiting out of high school. Leavitt committed to Arizona State on Monday. Kim is transferred to Coastal Carolina.
The Spartans also had juniors Andrew Schorfhaar and Zach Gillespie on the roster.
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Chiles arrives with three years of eligibility remaining, and the manner in which Smith fills the remaining quarterback spots will be another important step in rebuilding the roster that remains following the Sept. 27 release of Mel Tucker.
MSU will likely need to acquire a veteran with minimal eligibility remaining from the portal to compete with Chiles for the starting job, or at least provide a capable backup option. The Spartans also no longer have a QB commitment after Henry Hasselbeck, son of former NFL Pro Bowler Matt Hasselbeck, reopened his recruitment on Dec. 1.
Houser played in 11 games, but the offense struggled to move the ball with him under center. He completed 58.6% of his attempts and averaged 102.7 yards per game. He threw six touchdowns with five interceptions and scored two times. MSU won against Nebraska and at Indiana in November, with Houser starting and finishing each game.
Leavitt appeared to show the most promise with limited reps in four games, playing the entire fourth quarter against Michigan and Minnesota. He played one series in his debut against Maryland and two series against Nebraska, ultimately throwing the winning touchdown to beat the Huskers. Leavitt finished the season 15-for-23 for 138 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions, rushing for 67 yards on 13 attempts.
The NCAA early signing period runs from December 20th to 22nd and the transfer portal is open until January 4th.
Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. follow him @chrissolari.
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