Aidan Chiles: How soon until we see a return to elite Spartan quarterback play?
Our position group previews conclude with the spot where there is arguably the most hope for the Spartans in 2024 and beyond: Quarterback.
Returning Players: Atticus Carridine
Departed Players: Sam Leavitt, Noah Kim, Katin Houser, Andrew Schorfhaar
Transfers In: Aidan Chiles, Tommy Shuster
Recruits In: Alessio Milivojevic, Ryland Jessee
After finishing 2023 only 96th of 130 FBS teams with 199.8 passing yards per game, the Spartans’ quarterback room experienced almost a complete transfer portal turnover with the hiring of Jonathan Smith and the new coaching staff. The only returning player is Atticus Carridine, a redshirt freshman from Ypsilanti with no game experience.
Noah Kim (Coastal Carolina), Katin Houser (East Carolina), Sam Leavitt (Arizona State), and Andrew Schorfhaar all took to the transfer portal after the 2023 season. Of this group, Leavitt saw less game action than Kim and Houser but may have been viewed by the Spartan fanbase as the most promising option after providing a spark in the Minnesota game last year. But Leavitt, an Oregon native, opted not to stay and compete for the starting job while expressing some frustration towards Smith for apparently not recruiting him hard enough at Oregon State. Or perhaps he just saw the writing on the wall with the addition of Aidan Chiles who followed Smith from Oregon State after seeing playing time as a true freshman in 2023.
While the portal may have taken away at the quarterback position, it also seems to have generously provided here.
There are certainly high hopes for Chiles, a former 4-star recruit from Long Beach, CA, number 2 transfer portal quarterback for 2024, and number 8 overall player in the portal. While behind DJ Uiagalelei on the depth chart at OSU, Chiles still saw some meaningful snaps last year with action in 9 games. He completed 24 of 35 passes for 309 yards, 4 touchdowns, and no interceptions while also running for 3 touchdowns and 79 yards on 17 carries.
While not a lot of experience, it is important to note that this was not mop-up duty with the game already decided. Chiles was usually scheduled to play the third drive of each game and Smith generally stuck to that script throughout the season.
The Spartans also picked up one of the best quarterbacks at the FCS level in North Dakota transfer Tommy Shuster. A Macomb Township native, Shuster started the last 42 games for UND and left as the school’s leader in passing yards, completions, touchdowns, and total yards. Shuster threw for over 9,000 career yards and 63 TDs at North Dakota while ranking among the FCS leaders in completion percentage (70.7%) and passing efficiency in 2023.
The two recruits are both 3-star prospects. Alessio Milivojevic was the number 1 QB from Illinois while Ryland Jessee comes to MSU from San Diego, CA. The Spartans certainly have a history of developing under the radar quarterbacks in Kirk Cousins and Connor Cook. Hopefully that’s the path for Milivojevic and Jessee down the road but Spartan fans are eager to see what Chiles can do for the next 2-3 years.
But how much will quarterback play improve for the Spartans this year? It could be that as Chiles goes, so goes the Spartan offense. Or it could be as the rest of the Spartan offense goes, so goes Chiles. He can depend on help from fellow Oregon State transfer tight end Jack Velling. Running backs Nate Carter and UMass transfer Kay’ron Lynch-Adams can also make plays and pick up blitzes. As discussed in our previous previews, production from the wide receivers and offensive line will be key. Can the receivers get separation and make plays? Can the o-line protect Chiles and open up holes for Carter and Lynch-Adams?
Fortunately, we don’t have to wait too much longer to find out!