EAST LANSING- Michigan State football concludes its spring practice with the Spring Showcase, where each coach and player were able to demonstrate their skills for the upcoming season.
The 26th head coach, Jonathan Smith, brings in his new staff and players to start a new regime of Michigan State football, and that starts with your quarterback, Oregon State transfer Aidan Chiles.
Coming into the transfer portal, Chiles started as the second overall quarterback in his class, who followed his coach from Oregon State to MSU. In the Spring Showcase, Chiles showed his ability to take on the reins of QB1.
“He looked comfortable and guys made some plays for him in the pass, which was great to see,” Smith said.
With the addition of Smith, a whole new culture was transferred to Michigan State, but with that culture came a very credible coaching staff. At the helm of Smith’s credible coaches, Offensive Coordinator and quarterback’s coach Brian Lindgren got right to work.
To start things off, Chiles threw a 23-yard bomb down the field to make his mark in Spartan Stadium. Shortly after, redshirt junior Nate Carter broke 2 tackles and took it to the house for a 48-yard Spartan touchdown. Speed and acceleration were an important training point for Carter, and his explosiveness is a stepping stone from last year’s performance.
“He runs really hard, we think that Nate is explosive and that fits well in the scheme. The first few practices he was getting his feet wet, but in the back half of the spring he became more and more comfortable,” Smith said.
The main focus of the new regime for coach Smith was that players need to play fast and need to be aggressive. Michigan State came out with a quick pass rush and quick decisions from the offense.
Nick Marsh, the 6-3 true freshman made his impact known on the offensive end, catching two deep balls from Tommy Schuster, solidifying another weapon for Chiles and the Spartans.
“I see a lot of Nick in me,” Chiles said. “He’s young, he’s a baller and he uses a lot of his talent every day. I did the same thing my freshman year. I thought about what I can do talent-wise and athletically.”
Coming back in the Green and White for the Spartans, redshirt senior Montorie Foster Jr. caught a long ball from Chiles down the sideline for 35 yards to put the offensive side up 21 to 17. Foster has become a leader in the receiver room, with his ability to play multiple positions, and with his knowledge, he can teach the rest of the receivers in the locker room.
The Spartans are playing a quick style of football that is intentional in their tackling.
Defensively, Michigan State continued to pressure the quarterback and let Chiles make his reads while on the run. In the third quarter, the Spartan defense kept up the pressure which made Chiles burst out of the pocket for a large gain. Chiles is very keen on sensing incoming pressure, and he ended up turning a large loss into a huge gain for Michigan State.
In the previous season, Michigan State’s defense was less dynamic, but in the new Smith Era, the entire defense is electric, with rushers attacking the quarterback at different angles at different times.
The Spartans now have depth at every position, both on offense and defense. Giving the coaching staff leverage to change every position from the receivers, to the offensive line depending on the play being run.
The Spring Showcase ended with the offense winning 31-24, with the help of many playmakers on the Michigan State roster. But both sides showed how ready they are for Big Ten conference play because their team has bought in on the new era.
“There is a difference between last year’s team and this team because this year you can add to the offense. You can see explosive plays and some very aggressive hustle as well,” said junior defensive back Dillon Tatum.
Michigan State spring football has come to an end. Now the Spartans set their sights on the fall, where they look to polish up their skills and be prepared for the first game of the 2024-25 football season.
