Nick Saban speaks very highly of Aidan Chiles
Starting quarterback Aidan Chiles has been a very interesting talking point this season among Michigan State football fans. The hype surrounding him this offseason was very high (arguably too high) and because of that many feel he hasn’t lived up to expectations.
And it’s hard to argue against that.
Chiles so far this season has thrown for 1,212 yards but only at a 56.5 completion percentage. He also only has five touchdowns to eight interceptions along with a couple fumbles as well. So you really can’t argue against the point that Chiles hasn’t met expectations this season.
That however doesn’t mean he’s a bad quarterback and that we shouldn’t be excited for the future under him.
Former Michigan State and Alabama head coach Nick Saban is now part of the ESPN College GameDay crew, and he got the chance during a segment to speak about the upside he sees in Chiles.
Nick Saban on Aidan Chiles:
— Michigan State Content (@msucontent) October 5, 2024
“Tremendous ceiling. I think this guy has tremendous upside. He’s a good thrower, a good passer. Makes a lot of good throws, can beat people with his feet.” pic.twitter.com/fPCNN0PovT
”Tremendous.” That’s not a word you throw around for just anyone. And the fact that this is coming from the greatest college football coach of all time means something as well.
Saban has coached his fair share of elite quarterbacks throughout his career so he knows the difference between a young quarterback struggling to hit his ceiling versus a guy who has no hope for the future. And thankfully for Michigan State, Chiles falls into that first category.
Saban however detailed the one thing holding Chiles back and it’s the one thing that we all recognize as well, his turnovers.
"But the big thing he’s gotta learn which a lot of young quarterbacks have to do is eliminate the bad plays."
- Nick Saban
If Chiles can clean his turnovers up then I think MSU could win all six remaining games on their schedule. But if the same issues continue then the Spartans will struggle to even make a bowl game.
So we’ll just have to wait and see what happens this season, but before you give up on him maybe you should give him more time because it sounds like the greatest coach in college football history hasn’t given up on him yet.