Through the first four games of 2025, Chiles has answered that last question.

Following Smith from Oregon State, Chiles arrived in East Lansing viewed as the program’s savior. He was ranked the No. 2 quarterback in the transfer portal, according to 247Sports, and expectations immediately soared — perhaps too soon for an inexperienced QB with plenty left to learn.

His first play at Michigan State ended in an interception — a mistake that became all too familiar during his debut season. Chiles finished the year with 11 interceptions, 2,415 passing yards and 13 touchdowns, completing 59.4% of his passes. But the most encouraging sign came in his final three games: zero turnovers.

The quarterback who threw 8 interceptions in his first five games suddenly stopped turning the ball over. Something had clicked.

Fast forward to today: Chiles has guided Michigan State to a 3–1 start heading into the bye week, leading an offense that looks far sharper than it did last season.

He’s thrown for 868 yards and nine touchdowns while completing 68.6% of his passes — and most importantly, he has just one interception. At this time last year, he had already thrown seven interceptions with only four touchdowns.

That growth has been transformative for the offense. In 2024, the Spartans averaged just 19.3 points per game, ranking 123rd out of 134 FBS teams. This fall, they’ve climbed to 50th nationally, averaging 34.3 points per game.

So what changed? The answer may be as simple as sheer experience.

“You can see that he’s able to come off the field and tell you what he saw, and at times last year, he wasn’t always able to do that,” MSU offensive coordinator Brian Lindgren said on a Sept. 16 media availability. “I think he’s starting to understand football more, and then I think that allows him to anticipate some throws and some windows and has allowed the game to kind of slow down for him a little bit.

A huge factor in Chiles’ growth that doesn’t show up in the stat line is his improved pocket presence. A quality that for athletic quarterbacks can be difficult to commit to, as it requires shuffling in the pocket and not simply sprinting out.

That was an issue for the QB last season, but the coaching staff challenged him to improve, as staying in the pocket is key to seeing all the receivers downfield and making a play.

“He’d kind of get himself out of position and wasn’t in his passing profile to be able to make the throw to the No. 2 and No. 3 receivers,” Lindgren said regarding Chiles’ pocket movement last season. “We really challenged him in the offseason about keeping that passing profile, subtle movements to be able to find that.”

It was a challenge for both Chiles and the staff, who emphasized not eliminating his playmaking instinct that makes him such a weapon through the air and on the ground.

“He’s athletic, and you don’t want to take the playmaking ability out of him either. But now the consistency is what we’re focused on within the pocket, and we’re seeing more of it,” MSU quarterback coach Jon Boyer said on a Sept. 9  media availability. “He’s buying in, and he’s doing it the right way, and I think we’ve made big strides,”

The good news for MSU is that Chiles’ playmaking ability hasn’t gone anywhere. His ability to extend plays with his legs has been on full display, as he’s already rushed for 154 yards and 2 touchdowns — just 71 yards shy of his 2024 total with eight games still to play.

Ultimately, Chiles’ offseason work has helped him make a name for himself early in 2025. On top of a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award in Week 2, he ranks 18th nationally in passing efficiency with a 167.27 rating.

He’s the captain of an MSU offense loaded with weapons, and the Spartans will look to unleash them even more as the season progresses. Their next opportunity comes Oct. 4 at Memorial Stadium, when they face Nebraska.