Big 12 Snapshot: Iowa State Cyclones

Good morning. I’m introducing a new series intended to take a look at each team in the new Big 12. I’m not sure how many I’ll get done each week, but the only way for me to really know about these teams is to actually do the research so I can be relatively informed when the season hits. So I spent time doing the research this weekend. There are links to everything below so if there isn’t a link, then I didn’t write it, but I always link back to the originator of the content. I wanted to take a quick look at the team: get a feel for the best players; look into their portal class consisted and how they ranked overall; a look at the 2024 recruiting class; and ending on the graphic from Sharp College Football.

Snapshot: The strength of Iowa State and why they are sort of a dark horse candidate to win the Big 12 are the 9 starters returning on defense and 8 starters returning on offense including a very productive quarterback. New OC Taylor Mouser was promoted from within and was a graduate assistant with the program and working his way up. There will be consistency with how the offense operates so don’t expect a huge drop-off because the OC is gone. QB Rocco Becht returns, threw for 3,120 yards, completing 63%, 8.5 yards per attempt, 23 touchdowns and 8 picks. That’s more than sufficient. Abu Sama III returns at running back as well, 84 carries and 614 yards, averaging 7.3 yards an attempt with 6 touchdowns. Top defenders? There’s a bunch of them. Linebacker Caleb Bacon had 60 tackles and 3 sacks while starting every game last year. Defensive back Beau Freyler had 106 tackles, 1 sack, 3 picks last year in a hybrid/safety role. Defensive lineman J.R. Singleton led the team with 3.5 sacks and another defensive back, Myles Purchase, had 14 passes defended last year.

Do the Cyclones play Texas Tech? Yes, on November 2nd in Ames, which is the 9th game of the year.

Returning Starters: Offensive returning starters – 8 (90% of offensive production); Defensive returning starters – 9 (80% of defensive production).

Transfer Portal Arrivals: 7. Not much to report here so I won’t waste your time.
RB Jaylon Jackson (from Eastern Michigan)
WR Isaiah Alston (from Army)
OL Dylan Barrett (from Wisconsin)
OL Jalen Travis (from Princeton)
DL Kenard Snyder (from ULM)
K Carter Davis (from Florida Atlantic)
LS Drew Clausen (from Northern Iowa)

On3 Transfer Index Score: +5 (Big 12 high is +68 with Colorado and low is -30 with Houston)

Spring Portal Grades: N/A

Key additions: None

Key subtractions: None

Outlook: Iowa State didn’t add anyone in the spring window but didn’t deal with a notable departure.

Pac 12 2024 Recruiting & Big 12 2024 Recruiting: Matt Campbell has done a really respectable job in a place where it’s been traditionally difficult to win big. This class has some nice pieces but one wonders if there is an elite game-changer coming to Ames. There are no four-stars in the class but three-star tight ends Cooper Alexander and Keaton Roskop could be major weapons.

Iowa State always finds plenty of sleepers, too, and three-star defensive end Jace Gilbert might be one of them.

Grade: B-

Sharp College Football Beta Rank Deep Dive: The offense was very good, but the rush defense needs to be better, as previously mentioned, which probably affected the drive efficiency. In fact, the passing offense was very good. Defensively, they’ve always been good and with a bunch of starters returning they should be stellar and there really wasn’t a spot on defense where they weren’t good. Kinda scary.