Ad Disclosure
Northwestern names starting QB for Week 1 vs. South Dakota St.
By Ethan Stone
Published:
Northwestern football head coach David Braun has named Aidan Chiles the starting quarterback for the Wildcats, according to a report from ESPN’s Pete Thamel. He will make his Northwestern debut on Sept. 5 as the Wildcats face off against South Dakota State.
Chiles beat Wildcats sophomore Ryan Boe and West Virginia transfer Nicco Marchiol for the starting role.
Chiles transferred to Northwestern by way of Michigan State and arrived in Evanston with 3 seasons of college experience. He started his career at Oregon State before following head coach Jonathan Smith to Michigan State, where he played for 2 seasons.
The 6-foot-4, 225 pound quarterback played 8 games for Michigan State last season, totaling 1,392 passing yards with 10 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. He’s also a threat with his legs and rushed for 227 yards and 6 touchdowns in 2025. For his 3-year career, Chiles has totaled 4,116 career passing yards with 27 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Northwestern is set to enter the 4th season of the David Braun era when the Wildcats face off against South Dakota State in just a few weeks. Braun’s Wildcats finished last season 7-6 and Northwestern has finished the season with a winning record in 2 of his 3 seasons in Evanston.
Ethan Stone was an editor for his student newspaper at the University of Tennessee and is now a News Manager for Saturday Tradition.