3 Oregon State Players Jonathan Smith Should Bring To Michigan State
After being hired as the 26th head coach in Michigan State football’s history, Jonathan Smith and the new coaching staff he assembles in East Lansing have to immediately start rebuilding their roster for next year. The fall transfer portal window opens on Dec. 4, and there will be a lot of roster turnover in East Lansing.
Smith is already bringing luggage with him, as five Oregon State assistant coaches and multiple staffers have already agreed to join him at Michigan State. With some of his former assistants already on board, who are some of Smith’s former players who could also follow their head coach from Corvallis? Here are four players from Oregon State’s roster who Smith should try to turn into Spartans.
Aidan Chiles (Fr.) — Quarterback
Smith is an offensive coach and he’ll want someone that is familiar with his scheme as he attempts to build Michigan State’s offensive identity in his own image. Freshman quarterback Aidan Chiles was the Beavers’ backup this season, but has shown flashes of being a future star. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder was the nation’s No. 152 overall recruit in the 2023 class according to 247Sports’ composite rankings. A California native, Chiles was the No. 12 quarterback recruit in the country and Oregon State’s sixth-highest rated recruit all-time.
Bringing in Chiles would bring more competition to the Spartans' quarterback room. Sam Leavitt and Noah Kim all have eligibility left, but do they fit what Smith wants to build in East Lansing? Leavitt and redshirt freshman Katin Houser were both four-star recruits, but Chiles is a higher-rated prospect than both of them. Recruiting ratings out the window, did Leavitt or Kim show enough to Smith to build the program around them? With Houser entering the transfer portal, Smith would be wise to bring his young Oregon State quarterback with him.
Jack Velling (So.) — Tight End
Sophomore tight end Jack Velling emerged as one of the Beavers’ most valuable targets on offense in 2023. The sophomore finished the regular season with 438 receiving yards and eight touchdowns while averaging 15.1 yards per catch. Michigan State had eight tight ends on scholarship this past year, but lacked consistency at the position throughout the season. Velling can bring that stability at tight end for the next two years.
With Oregon State’s tight end coach Brian Wozniak coming with Smith to MSU, bringing in Velling is very possible. If the Spartans retain tight end Maliq Carr and he continues to improve, Michigan State will have a tight end duo that could be very effective for any quarterback that plays next season.
Easton Mascarenas-Arnold (Jr.) — Linebacker
Over the past three season, junior linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold has developed into an All-Conference player in the Pac-12 at Oregon State. Landing him in the transfer portal may be a long shot, depending on which defensive coaches Smith brings with him from OSU and whether or not Mascarenas-Arnold will declare for the 2024 NFL Draft. But, if the Spartans end up landing Easton, he could lead the defense next season with lots of young talent around him.
Mascarenas-Arnold finished the 2023 regular season with 107 tackles, which led the Pac-12. The inside linebacker could be a piece that could help with this new staff’s transition to East Lansing, alongside current stud Spartan freshman linebacker Jordan Hall. Playing in the Pac-12, Mascarenas-Arnold is accustomed to playing against pass heavy teams and can give the Spartans much-needed versatility at linebacker.
For more coverage of Michigan State Athletics:
- Subscribe to our YouTube channel: @SpartanNationPodcast
- Follow us on Facebook: @SpartanNation
- Follow us on Twitter: @mlounsberry_SI | @a3danm
