Northwestern Wildcats name starting qurterback for 2026
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The Northwestern Wildcats have named their starting quarterback for the 2026-27 season. They've named Michigan State transfer Aidan Chiles as their starter, according to Pete Thamel. Chiles beats out sophomore Ryan Boe and West Virginia transfer Nicco Marchiol for the spot.
Last season, Northwestern went 7-6 while winning a bowl game. It was a bounce-back season for third-season head coach David Braun, and they did it without much of a passing game. Incumbent starter Preston Stone put up modest numbers, with 2,400 yards, 17 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on 370 attempts.
Stone was an experienced starter, playing for four seasons at SMU before transferring to Northwestern. With Chiles, Northwestern is going the same route. Chiles was the starting quarterback for the Michigan State Spartans in 2024 and for eight games in 2025. There was a ton of hype surrounding Chiles, as the 2023 four-star recruit transferred from Oregon State to Michigan State along with head coach Jonathan Smith.
However, Chiles hasn't been able to get past being a decent starter so far. In his sophomore season with the Spartans, he threw for 2,415 yards, 13 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions on 323 attempts. His junior season was a step back, as he threw for just 1,392 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions in 203 dropbacks before getting benched. Michigan State went 8-12 in Chiles' tenure, and with the Spartans firing Smith at the end of the season, Chiles entered the transfer portal.
Chiles transferred to Northwestern on Jan. 6, 2026, and he'll make his debut in the purple and silver on Sep. 5. He will be a centerpiece of the new-look offense with offensive coordinator Chip Kelly and quarterbacks coach Jerry Neuheisel.
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This article originally appeared on College Sports Wire: Northwestern Wildcats name starting qurterback for 2026
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