Quarterback Aidan Chiles wasn't the only Oregon State transfer player who decided to follow head coach Jonathan Smith and company to Michigan State. Fellow former Beavers Tanner Miller (center/interior offensive lineman) and Jack Velling (tight end) also enrolled at MSU this past January and now call East Lansing home.
For Miller, the decision to come to Michigan State was an easy one. He trusts the coaching staff after they took a chance on him early in his career when he was a walk-on at OSU. He is comfortable with Smith, offensive line coach/run game coordinator Jim Michalczik and the other coaches who made the transition from Corvallis to East Lansing. Miller also likes the way offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Brian Lindgren runs his offense.
The California native also knew the writing was on the wall for a program in the crumbling Pac-12 Conference, which will lose 10 of its 12 member schools to other conferences in 2024.
"So, growing up on the West Coast, I always wanted to play in the Pac-12, but with everything that transpired (with the conference losing multiple teams), unfortunate, but that's business and that's life," Miller explained. "So, after the season, I sat down with my family, and I had an opportunity and I had a platform for myself to kind of go to a bigger spot. So, I decided to enter my name in the (transfer) portal, and then once they hit me up, I was like, I'm gonna take a trip out there.
"And it's kind of a no-brainer because I know the culture, I know the system ... We're gonna hit the ground running. These guys took a chance on me when no one else did. So, I believe in these guys, (wholeheartedly)."
As for Velling, his familiarity with Smith and the MSU coaching staff — including tight ends coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Wozniak — from his time at OSU also made his decision to join the Spartans fairly easy.
However, the weather in Michigan is something that Velling, who grew up in Seattle, is still getting used to.
"I eventually decided that it was the right decision for me," Velling said about transferring to Michigan State. "A little bit of getting used to with snow in March, but other than that, it's been great settling in."
Velling has built a strong bond with Smith, and the head coach is somebody who he wanted to continue to play for, even at a different school.
"I think he's a winner," Velling said about Smith. "He's a program-changer. He knows what it takes to win. He's a great guy. The more I get to know him, the better he gets. He cares about his players, his staff. Me and him created a great bond at Oregon State, and I wanted to continue it."
As for Wozniak, Velling called him "one of the best in the business." Wozniak has coached multiple tight ends that have reached the NFL, and briefly played in the NFL himself, so playing for a position coach with that sort of track record remained appealing to Velling and played a factor in his decision to transfer to Michigan State.
Velling also said that he spoke "a little bit" with Chiles about the potential of both transferring to Michigan State. Velling is one class ahead of Chiles, and will be entering his junior season in 2024, while Chiles will be a sophomore.
"It's great having him out here," Velling said about Chiles.
Velling also said that it was "great" to have Miller in East Lansing as well.
As mentioned, Miller started his career as a walk-on at Oregon State. He eventually worked his way up to a starting spot with the Beavers, and ultimately earned All-American recognition.
Miller's philosophy is to focus on each day and make steady improvements. His advice to his teammates is to do the same, and not to worry too much about the bigger goals before mastering the smaller tasks.
"Obviously, wins and losses are all that, but the process of coming in today — how did we do today?" Miller said. "Did we get better? If not, how are we going to fix it come Thursday? Tomorrow, how are we gonna attack this lift? So, I think a process of getting better every day is what success looks like.
"I tell (my teammates), 'Don't focus on the big goal.' The big goal (being), I want to start this year, this and that. Don't focus on that. Let's focus on Thursday. What are we going to do Thursday to make us better as a unit, (make) you better as a player? Tomorrow, how are we going to attack this lift? How are we going to attack the film session? How are we going to get better each and every day? Not just focusing on the end goal."
