Michigan State QB Aidan Chiles named to Golden Arm Award watchlist
Michigan State junior quarterback Aidan Chiles was among 58 signal-callers named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award watchlist Tuesday afternoon.
The award is presented annually to the best upperclassman quarterback in the country. This year’s list “showcases 58 of the nation’s premier collegiate quarterbacks, including a mix of returning standouts and rising stars,” per a statement released Tuesday by the Golden Arm Foundation.
Chiles will look to take a step this fall after completing 59.4 percent of his passes for 2,415 yards, 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. He also carried the ball 97 times for 225 yards and three touchdowns.
Michigan State’s all-time winningest quarterback, Connor Cook, became the first and only Spartan to win the award in 2015. Brian Lewerke was semi-finalist for the award in 2019.
Michigan State will face three other quarterbacks on this year’s watchlist: Drew Allar (Penn State), Nico Iamaleava (UCLA), and Fernando Mendoza (Indiana). Boston College quarterback Grayson James also earned a spot on the list, though the Eagles recently named Dylan Lonergan their starting quarterback.
Which other Michigan State players have been named to preseason watchlists?
Several Michigan State players have earned spots on preseason watchlists in recent weeks.
Junior linebacker Jordan Hall was nominated for the AFCA Good Works Team and named to the Wuerffel Trophy watchlist, an award that honors community service. Redshirt junior punter Ryan Eckley earned a spot on the Ray Guy Award watchlist (given to the nation’s best punter), while senior tight end Jack Velling and redshirt senior center Matt Gulbin earned spots on the Mackey Award watchlist (best tight end) and Rimington Trophy watchlist (best center), respectively.
Michigan State also nominated redshirt senior safety Armorion Smith for the College Football Comeback Player of the Year Award on Tuesday. Smith lost his mother, Gala Gilliam, prior to last season. A few weeks later, he became the legal guardian of his four siblings.
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Senior wide receiver Omari Kelly and redshirt junior wide receiver Chrishon McCray also earned spots on the Biletnikoff Award watchlist, which is given annually to the nation’s best receiver. However, Michigan State’s most productive and promising wide receiver from last season, Nick Marsh, did not earn a spot on the Biletnikoff watchlist.
Should Chiles advance into the final stages for the Golden Arm Award, Marsh would undoubtedly be a big reason why. Still, the sophomore wideout didn’t pay too much attention to the snub when asked about it on Monday.
“If they (Kelly and McCray) are on the Biletnikoff Award (watchlist), that probably takes some pressure off of me during the season,” Marsh said. “Other teams will probably start eyeing those guys a little bit more.”
Meanwhile, Marsh believes Chiles deserves to be recognized like he was on Tuesday.
“He’s stepped up big time,” Marsh said of Chiles. “He’s leading the offense even more than he did last year, a little more vocal. The energy is still felt, and you can just feel that he means business. He’s been showing that all camp.”
