Aidan Chiles balancing expectations as Michigan State starter

After following Jonathan Smith from Oregon State to East Lansing, Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles is ready for the challenge of leading a program as it’s quarterback.

Many thought it’d be a natural transition for Chiles with the Beavers, but that plan changed once Smith took his talents to the Big Ten. Now, Chiles is learning what it means to wear the green and white, and getting used to his new responsibilities as a starting quarterback at the college level.

“It’s different,” Chiles said, regarding being a starting quarterback versus backing up someone else. “Really, you don’t even see it inside of football. Inside of football, it was the same way last year, people still as you questions. People still talk to you. Even in the backup role. But just being in that starting role, it’s been a learning experience, it’s been fun. I’m grateful to be in this position.

“But the biggest thing is like, everybody is watching you. Like, I saw it today. I see my face every five minutes. I can’t do anything, mess myself up. I really just have to be on my Ps and Qs, be able to maintain my composure throughout the game, throughout practice, throughout everything, because everybody is watching you.”

Evidently, the extra attention is certainly a change for Chiles, but the quarterback believes he’s built for it. He was one of the most sought-after players in the transfer portal, and he stuck with his head coach, and that decision could pay off in spades.

Michigan State may not have sky-high expectations for 2024, but Aidan Chiles’ play could elevate them to unexpected levels, if he’s as good of a quarterback as many believe he will be in East Lansing this coming season.

Aidan Chiles believes helmet communication is ‘easier’

Continuing, along with adjusting to a new program, Chiles also has to adapt to one of the new big changes across the entire college football landscape. The use of coach-to-player helmet communication.

Teams have been using the new technology for the first time during spring practices this year, and following Michigan State’s spring game, Chiles spoke on how the adjustment has been. 

“It’s a love-hate relationship between that man,” Chiles admitted. “I’m used to signals. See the signal, if you get the signal wrong, that’s on you. It is what it is. Sometimes you don’t get the full call but we’re working with it. It’s easier not having a coach on the field being able to give you signals and everything, but also that he can’t hear me.”

This upcoming college football season will be the first ever where speakers will be used in the helmets of players for coaches to communicate play calls. With one player on offense and defense sporting a green dot helmet sticker similar to the NFL and serving as the middleman between the playcaller and the rest of the team. 

For years NFL quarterbacks have been tasked with this responsibility, which will now be passed down to college quarterbacks like Chiles. Whose favorite feature is surprisingly that the communication is only one-way. 

“It’s kind of funny that he can’t hear me because I can talk, say what I want a little bit when we have some disagreements,” Chiles smiled and said. “But it is what it is, it’s football, you’re going to have those disagreements. But you talk about it when you come off the field. It’s different just being able to hear from the sideline with your helmet but overall it’s helpful.”

On3’s Kaiden Smith contributed to this article.