End of camp notes: Michigan State

East Lansing — It’s officially game week, with Michigan State hosting Western Michigan in Spartan Stadium on Friday night, with kickoff slated for 7:30 p.m.

And as we turn the page to Week 1, there are some storylines out of fall camp worth considering.

Aidan Chiles’ evolving mindset, maturity

Chiles’ physical talents and upside are undeniable. But the 2024 season, his first as a full time starter, was up and down. He had some real highs, like accounting for 307 yards of total offense in a win against Iowa but also led the league in interceptions, with 11. 

The bad juju culminated at the end of the season, when Chiles called out fans who left Michigan State’s season finale early. But in doing so, Chiles also offered a promise for 2025.

“This will not be the same next year,” Chiles said then. “And I can promise you that."

And by all accounts from fall camp, Chiles has been different in 2025 and taken to the mantle of leadership for Michigan State.

Along with strong reviews for his increased command of and feel for the offense, Chiles has been complimented for the way he’s matured in his approach to being QB1 for the Spartans. 

“I think there's been an approach to him this fall camp, even back to spring ball a little bit, of, I don't know about serious but the focus, really locking in on his responsibilities,” head coach Jonathan Smith said recently. “I think in the scrimmages he's taking care of the ball and that's been good to see in two scrimmages. Now again, we ain't tackling yet and all that, but I've seen growth. You can feel some command out there. Scrimmage situation, down and distance, ball moves, that kind of thing. Anticipating calls. It's coming out in the huddle, it's crisp, he gets to the line of scrimmage, he's seen it before. Getting us in the right play, all of that has grown.”

For all the increased focus and intensity Chiles has displayed, Smith did acknowledge there’s a balance to be struck between grinding to improve and enjoying the process. He feels like Chiles has managed that tension well this offseason.

And perhaps one of Chiles’ expected top targets, wideout Nick Marsh, put it best.

“He's stepped up man, big time,” Marsh said. “He's leading the offense even more than he did last year, little more vocal. The energy is still felt and you can feel that he means business and he's been showing that all camp.” 

Marsh added: “It's still hahas, hehes here and there, but he keeps it pretty simple.” 

Wide receiver room poised to make a splash

Throughout fall camp, the excitement about the remade Michigan State wideout room has been evident. 

Marsh is the headliner of the group — despite being left off the Biletnikoff watchlist — but the message from players and coaches has been the group as a whole is highly talented, with more receivers worth playing than can be on the field at one time. And even internally, the vibes are high.

“They've gotta be able to work off of each other and part of the deal is we've gotta make sure we've got the right group of guys on the field to execute,” wide receivers coach Courtney Hawkins said. “But just overall, just the brotherhood in the room has been tremendous. I need to put a microphone in there sometime, let you get a whiff of these dudes in there.”

In addition to Marsh, the Spartans added a number of transfers: Chrishon McCray (Kent State), Omari Kelly (Middle Tennessee State), Rod Bullard (Valdosta State) and Evan Boyd (Central Michigan). 

All four are expected to have some level of impact along with Marsh — McCray and Kelly made the Biletnikoff watchlist — as will the tight ends. Jack Velling will lead the tight end room, but didn’t begin practicing until later in camp as he recovered from an injury. 

On top of raising the individual talent level across the board in the wideout room, Hawkins and the wideouts also feel like there’s great synergy in the types of pass catchers they have. There are big bodies, speedsters, savvy veterans and enough overlap among the skillsets to not give the game away when certain personnel are on the field. 

The collective parts are all better, and their sum could be something special for Michigan State if all goes to plan.

“I think we have one of the most dynamic rooms we've had in a lot of years,” Hawkins said. 

Expect multiple running backs to get significant run

Sacramento State transfer Elijah Tau-Tolliver will certainly be a factor, but sophomores Brandon Tullis and Makhi Frazier (who has been mildly banged up of late) have both stayed firmly in the mix to get carries this season, as have some freshmen, including Zion Gist and local product Jace Clarizio.

After the second scrimmage, Smith was complimentary of the strides taken in the run game. 

“Felt the run game was better on Saturday,” Smith said. “So we were pleased with that. Brandon had some good carries. Really all of them. Makhi ran it really well. Caught the ball out of the backfield well. So we're pleased with that room. That would be a particular one where you could see multiple guys back there.”

Much of the progress for the run game will also hinge on the offensive line, another group with a big crop of transfers. Behind whatever five linemen the Spartans start, though, it does seem that a number of running backs will get meaningful carries. 

The Spartans divided a lot of the backfield workload in 2024 and don’t seem to be searching for one back to emerge as a bellcow. 

Clarizio is a bit of a wildcard for the group, as coaches have consistently highlighted his natural ability and big-play potential. But to be a significant part of the rotation, he’ll need to keep on his upward trajectory in the finer points of being a college football player.

But no matter what the mix is, expect some combination of running backs to get meaningful playing time come Friday.