Aidan Chiles is hoping to fulfill his talent in Evanston, Ill. with David Braun's team.
The Northwestern Wildcats' 2026 offense could be one of the best in school history if all goes according to plan, but it's going to take one special ingredient to make it all work: an Aidan Chiles breakout season.
Chiles came to Corvallis, Oregon as a four-star prospect with Oregon State and was thrown into the fire of competition as a freshman with mixed results.
A similar pattern unfolded at Michigan State, leaving many fans and college football analysts with the same question marks that fans saw in year one of his career.
Now in year four of his college football career, it's now or never for the former highly touted prospect.
Chiles is arguably Northwestern's most important player, and soon he will have a chance to show that he can make good on his immense physical gifts.
Michigan State's Aidan Chiles throws a pass against Michigan during the third quarter on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. Expectation #1: Start the Entire Season
Chiles has a firm grasp on the starting role heading into the season but will face fierce competition from backup Nicco Marchiol as it progresses.
Marchiol has a burly, strong frame that could make him attractive to coach Chip Kelly in goal line situations among others.
Marchiol has the character and mental makeup to push Chiles for the starting job.
The key for Chiles will be to keep his head above water and not let the whispers get to him.
If Chiles keeps a level head through adversity, he will almost certainly keep the starting job all season long.
Expectation #2: Dual Threat
Braun raved about Chiles' impressive top end speed for his size (6-foot-4, 220 pounds), a clue as to how the Wildcats expect to utilize his dual threat (passing and rushing) abilities this season.
Chiles had 227 and 225 yards rushing over his past two seasons.
Playing in Kelly's offense will give Chiles all the opportunities in the world to double or even triple those numbers in 2026.
The key for Chiles will be to keep the defense honest. By forcing opponents to honor the run game, Chiles will set himself up for big plays down the field in the passing game.
Expectation #3: Winning Season
Braun went 7-6 last season and has the pieces in place for another winning year in Evanston, Ill.
Chiles felt the weight of the world on his shoulders with an overmatched Michigan State team last season but won't have the same feeling this season.
Last year, Chiles and receiver Nick Marsh were the entire story on offense for the Spartans.
This year, the Northwestern braintrust between Kelly, Chiles and his skill position players will foster a much healthier and more successful group on offense from the opening possession.
Expectation #4: Caretaker Extraordinaire
The Wildcats are entering a new stadium on Oct. 2 vs. Penn State and must give the fans something to get excited about to continue forward momentum.
Chiles has a flair for the big play but also has a sinister habit of making the big mistake.
Chiles and the Wildcats will make their fair share of big plays this season.
The key is for the new Wildcats QB to avoid the big mistake, something he hasn't done for much of his career, in relation to the amount of big plays he makes.
Like a basketball point guard, Chiles must mind his "assist to turnover ratio" in terms of touchdowns to lost fumbles and interceptions.
Do that, and the wins will take care of themselves in Evanston this year.
