It’s a new era in Ames, as new head coach Jimmy Rogers is set to take the field for the first time at the helm of the Cyclones this Saturday.
Rogers, who coached the South Dakota State Jackrabbits to an undefeated FCS national championship in 2023 and led the Washington State Cougars to a bowl game in his lone FBS season in 2025, follows in the footsteps of Matt Campbell who left Iowa State for Penn State last December, bringing over 20 transfers with him in the process. With Campbell taking a significant portion of the roster with him, these incoming transfers will have an immediate opportunity to step up.
Rogers now leads a true rebuild, as the Cyclones return zero starters from a year ago, changing expectations for a program that made two Big 12 title games under Campbell.
Arkansas State transfer Jaylen Raynor leads the way for the new look offense. He’s a veteran FBS quarterback who already knows Jack Trice Stadium and Cyclone fans well, leading the Red Wolves against Iowa State each of the past two years. Raynor, a member of the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, is among the country’s most experienced quarterbacks with 36 starts under his belt, giving him a veteran presence that will be critical within the locker room of a team building a culture from scratch.
Raynor threw for over 3,300 yards in 2025, placing him among the top 20 quarterbacks in the nation for passing yardage.
Fellow captain Aiden Flora will join Raynor in the backfield as the Cyclones’ feature back. Flora is arguably the top returner for Iowa State this season, as the then-backup running back was second-team all-Big 12 as a return man in 2025, thanks in part to the game-winning touchdown return against TCU.
Flora hasn’t had much work as a runner, but one of his few touches from scrimmage last year was explosive, as he scored a 38-yard touchdown against Kansas.
Tarleton State transfer wide receiver Cody Jackson, one of ten FCS transfers on the Cyclone roster, is expected to be Flora’s top target this year. A former Oklahoma player, Jackson returns to the Big 12 after hauling in nearly 800 yards as an FCS quarterfinalist in 2025. Jackson appeared on the preseason watch list for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award.
The offensive line is where the least is known about the Cyclones. Braden Smith, also a Tarleton State transfer, is the only player with a full year of starting experience under his belt at the division one level. FCS Freshman All-American Colin Amick is the team’s most experienced tackle, making seven starts for FCS semifinalist Montana State a year ago. Akron transfer Massai King started five FBS games in 2025. Those three are proven commodities who should be at a minimum serviceable for the Cyclones. There’s very little known about the players behind them.
Oklahoma transfer Jake Taylor made five starts at right tackle in 2024, but he saw no action last year. Redshirt Freshman Trevor Bindel followed Rogers from Washington State and was listed as the starting left guard on Iowa State’s week one depth chart. Starting right guard Caden Maas had 21 starts at the DII level for Sioux Falls over the last two seasons. Ames native Gabriel Greenle is expected to have an impact in his redshirt senior season.
Defensively, four Washington State transfers will form the starting front for this year’s Cyclones. That quartet is led by Isaac Terrell, a member of the Chuck Bednarik Award watch list, who had 7 sacks and 12 TFLs for the Cougars in 2025.
In coverage, safety Drew Surges, who is one of Iowa State’s most experienced returners after making three starts for the Cyclones in 2025, will lead the secondary.
Alongside Flora, the top returning specialist for the Cyclones will be starting kicker Kyle Konrardy, who made game-winning 54-yard field goals to knock off in-state rival Iowa each of the last two years.
The Cyclones’ over/under for wins in 2026 is 4.5. Their schedule is as follows:
September 5 vs. Southeast Missouri
September 12 at Iowa
September 19 vs Bowling Green
September 26 vs Utah
October 3 vs West Virginia
October 9 at BYU
October 24 at Arizona
October 31 vs Oklahoma State
November 7 at Baylor
November 14 vs Cincinnati
November 20 at UCF
November 29 vs Kansas State
Coming off a stretch of unprecedented success for the program under Campbell, the Cyclones will likely take a step back this year, particularly along the offensive line. This year is all about evaluating Rogers. Will he be able to maintain this program’s standards? An explosive defensive front and an experienced quarterback will give him a leg up as he begins the rebuilding process, and the Cyclones will be a team that will make opponents pay if they’re overlooked.
