Aidan Chiles Is Showing Northwestern He’s the Real Deal

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Before the season even started, Aidan Chiles talked about one thing he wanted to show Northwestern fans: consistency.

Three games into the season, it is hard not to say that is exactly what the Wildcats are getting from their quarterback.

Chiles has looked like the real deal through the first three games of the season, and Friday night against No. 5 Indiana may have been his most impressive performance yet. Even though Northwestern fell 29-23, Chiles completed 22-of-29 passes for 293 yards and three total touchdowns against one of the top teams in the country. 

Through three games, Chiles has completed 53-of-75 passes for 807 yards and six passing touchdowns without throwing an interception. He has also added four rushing touchdowns, giving him 10 total touchdowns to start his Northwestern career.

Those numbers are impressive on their own, but what stands out even more is how comfortable Chiles looks running Chip Kelly’s offense.

In the season opener against South Dakota State, Chiles threw for 273 yards and two total touchdowns. He followed that up with one of the best games of his career against Colorado, completing 17-of-22 passes for 241 yards and three passing touchdowns while adding two rushing scores. That performance earned him Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. 

Then came Indiana.

Against the Hoosiers, Chiles continued to make plays while spreading the ball around. Griffin Wilde finished with six catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns, while Luke Dehnicke exploded for seven catches and 140 yards. Chiles has already shown that he is willing to trust his receivers and get different players involved.

That is one of the biggest reasons I think there is so much to like about what Chiles is doing early in this season. He does not seem to be forcing the game.

Chiles has made plays with his arm, made plays with his legs and, most importantly, has protected the football. Through three games, he has yet to throw an interception. There have been mistakes, including the intentional grounding penalty against Indiana, but Chiles has consistently shown the ability to move on to the next play.

That is where his growth really stands out.

Chiles has talked about wanting to improve and continue getting better, and that mindset has been visible on the field. He has not tried to make every play about himself. When something goes wrong, he has been willing to take responsibility, learn from it and keep moving forward.

That kind of attitude matters for a quarterback.

It is also important to remember that this is still a new offense with a new quarterback and a new playcaller. Yet through three games, Kelly has already found ways to put Chiles in situations where he can use his arm, his legs and his ability to make plays outside the pocket.

There is still plenty for Chiles to clean up. He will have bad throws, bad decisions and games where everything does not go according to plan. That is part of being a quarterback.

But that is also why his start to the season has been so encouraging.

Chiles is not just putting up numbers against lesser competition. He just went into Bloomington and threw for 293 yards and three total touchdowns against the No. 5 team in the country, helping Northwestern turn a 12-0 halftime deficit into a one-score game late in the fourth quarter. 

The Wildcats ultimately came up short, but Chiles showed exactly what he can bring to this team. Three games into the season, the consistency he talked about before the year is showing up. So is the growth.

And if Chiles continues playing with the same confidence, humility and willingness to improve, Northwestern could have something special at quarterback for the rest of the season.

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