Iowa State Cyclones
Big 12
0-0 (0-0 conf)
SP+ #33
Ratings
2025 final
- SP+
- 9.9 (#33)
- SP+ Offense
- 28.1
- SP+ Defense
- 19.5
- SRS
- 9.6
- FPI
- 8.6
- Elo
- 1629
- Talent
- 649
- Recruiting
- 203 (#54)
2026 Outlook
Projected wins
6.6p10 5.0 — p90 9.0
| Round | Prob | |
|---|---|---|
| Win conference | 0.8% | |
| Make CFP | 1.1% | |
| Quarterfinal | 0.2% | |
| Semifinal | 0.0% | |
| Natl. final | 0.0% | |
| Natl. champ | 0.0% |
Schedule
proj record 6.8–5.2
Schedule
51st
toughest of 136
Offenses faced
63rd
toughest of 136
Defenses faced
52nd
toughest of 136
Strength of schedule — how tough this team's opponents are, ranked 1 (hardest) to 136 (easiest) · by 2025 SP+ · 1 FCS game.
| Wk | Opponent | SP+ | Score | Proj | Win% | Res |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | vsSoutheast Missouri State | FCS | 46-3* | +43.4 | 100% | — |
| 2 | @Iowa | +19.7 | 19-32 | -12.7 | 22% | — |
| 3 | vsBowling Green | -12.6 | 34-16 | +18.0 | 86% | — |
| 4 | vsUtah | +22.2 | 22-35 | -13.1 | 21% | — |
| 5 | vsWest Virginia | -6.8 | 30-18 | +11.9 | 76% | — |
| 6 | @BYU | +15.9 | 22-33 | -11.1 | 25% | — |
| 8 | @Arizona | +12 | 23-31 | -7.1 | 33% | — |
| 9 | vsOklahoma State | -15.1 | 31-14 | +17.3 | 85% | — |
| 10 | @Baylor | +1.4 | 25-27 | -2.2 | 45% | — |
| 11 | vsCincinnati | +4.5 | 28-20 | +7.9 | 68% | — |
| 12 | @UCF | -1.2 | 27-22 | +4.7 | 61% | — |
| 13 | vsKansas State | +7 | 25-23 | +1.3 | 53% | — |
* FBS-vs-FCS estimate from the SP+ gap — no per-game model for FCS opponents.
Quarterbacks · 4
2026 · 78
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| QB | 1st | Jaylen Raynor← Arkansas State | JR | 6'0" | 202 | ★★★ |
| QB | 2nd | Zane Flores← Oklahoma State | FR | 6'3" | 215 | ★★★ |
| QB | 3rd | Connor Moberly | FR | 6'4" | 220 | — |
| QB | 4th | Major Cantrell | FR | 5'11" | 195 | — |
Running Backs · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RB | 1st | Cameron Pettaway← Bowling Green | FR | 5'10" | 180 | ★★★ |
| RB | 2nd | Aiden Flora | FR | 6'0" | 190 | — |
| RB | 3rd | Arnold Barnes III← Tulane | JR | 5'10" | 216 | ★★★ |
| RB | 4th | Salahadin Allah← Oregon State | SO | 5'11" | 222 | ★★★ |
| RB | 5th | Easton Miller | SO | 6'1" | 225 | — |
| RB | — | Ryver Peppers | FR | 5'11" | 205 | ★★★ |
Wide Receivers · 8
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WR | 1st | Omari Hayes← Tulane | SO | 5'9" | 170 | ★★★ |
| WR | 2nd | Carter Pabst← Washington State | FR | 6'1" | 194 | ★★★ |
| WR | 3rd | Eli Green | SR | 5'11" | 195 | — |
| WR | 4th | Dominic Overby | FR | 6'5" | 200 | ★★★ |
| WR | 5th | Jordyn Bailey← TCU | SO | 5'10" | 180 | ★★★ |
| WR | 6th | Evan Boyd← Michigan State | SO | 6'3" | 208 | ★★★ |
| WR | 7th | Carson Robbins | FR | 6'0" | 195 | — |
| WR | — | Cody Jackson← Tarleton State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Tight Ends · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TE | 1st | Tyler Fortenberry← Arkansas State | JR | 6'5" | 240 | ★★★ |
| TE | 2nd | Tyler Moore | SR | 6'5" | 255 | ★★★ |
| TE | 3rd | Tripp Walsh | SO | 6'6" | 240 | — |
| TE | 4th | Vince Benetti | SO | 6'4" | 245 | — |
| TE | — | Jordan Vyborny← Oklahoma State | FR | 6'5" | 240 | ★★★ |
| TE | — | Christian Greenlaw← Hampton | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Offensive Line · 4
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OT | — | Maasai King← Akron | JR | 6'4" | 305 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Jake Taylor← Oklahoma | JR | 6'6" | 313 | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Gavin Proudfoot← Northern Iowa | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| OT | — | Colin Amick← Montana | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Defensive Line · 18
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DL | 1st | Tamatoa McDonough | SR | 6'5" | 265 | — |
| DL | 2nd | Bryson Lamb← Washington State | JR | 6'2" | 301 | ★★★ |
| DL | 3rd | Jace J. Gilbert | FR | 6'5" | 280 | — |
| DL | 4th | Donovan Fitzmaurice← Washington State | FR | 6'3" | 283 | ★★★ |
| DL | 5th | Myles Mendeszoon | SR | 6'4" | 250 | ★★★ |
| DL | 6th | Zaimir Hawk | SO | 6'3" | 305 | ★★★ |
| DL | 7th | Max Baloun← Washington State | SR | 6'6" | 285 | ★★★ |
| DL | 8th | Vontroy Malone | JR | 6'4" | 265 | — |
| DL | 9th | Trey Verdon | FR | 6'1" | 250 | ★★★ |
| DL | 10th | Chet Andrews | JR | 6'3" | 250 | — |
| DL | 11th | Jack Limbaugh | FR | 6'3" | 230 | — |
| DL | — | Kaleb Bilal-Jones← Arizona | FR | 6'1" | 312 | ★★★ |
| DL | — | Cannon Butler | SR | 6'6" | 265 | — |
| DL | — | Jareb Ramos← Montana | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 1st | Isaac Terrell← Washington State | JR | 6'2" | 247 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 2nd | Malaki Ta'ase← Washington State | SO | 6'2" | 265 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | 3rd | Jack Janikowski← Washington State | SO | 6'2" | 242 | ★★★ |
| EDGE | — | Caden Crawford← South Dakota | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Linebackers · 9
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LB | 1st | Sullivan Schlimgen← Washington State | FR | 6'1" | 220 | ★★★ |
| LB | 2nd | Carson Willich | JR | — | 225 | ★★★ |
| LB | 3rd | Will McLaughlin | JR | 6'4" | 240 | — |
| LB | 4th | Rylan Barnes | SO | 6'3" | 235 | — |
| LB | 5th | Beau Goodwin | SO | 6'3" | 230 | ★★★ |
| LB | 6th | Zachary Lovett | SR | 6'2" | 250 | ★★★★ |
| LB | 7th | John Klosterman | JR | 5'11" | 230 | — |
| LB | — | Tristan Exline← Texas-Permian Basin | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| LB | — | Montreze Smith Jr.← Austin Peay | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Defensive Backs · 17
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CB | 1st | Keyon Washington← Bowling Green | FR | 6'1" | 185 | ★★★ |
| CB | 2nd | Jaheim Singletary← Arkansas | JR | 6'2" | 196 | ★★★ |
| CB | 3rd | Trillion Sorrell← Washington State | FR | 6'1" | 170 | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Tyrone Cotton III← Washington State | FR | 6'1" | 170 | ★★★ |
| CB | — | Seth Johnson← Montana State | — | — | — | ★★★ |
| DB | 1st | Drew Surges | SO | 6'1" | 205 | — |
| DB | 2nd | Caden Matson | JR | 6'0" | 205 | — |
| DB | 3rd | David Coffey | FR | 6'1" | 195 | — |
| DB | 4th | Caden Kock | JR | 6'0" | 220 | — |
| DB | 5th | Connor Welsch | FR | 6'2" | 200 | — |
| DB | 6th | Beni Ngoyi | SO | 6'4" | 200 | — |
| S | 1st | Malcolm Jones← Jacksonville State | JR | 6'1" | 206 | ★★★ |
| S | 2nd | Braden Awls← Toledo | JR | 6'0" | 196 | ★★★ |
| S | 3rd | Duhron Goodman← Washington State | JR | 6'0" | 185 | ★★★ |
| S | 4th | Brody Miller← Washington State | FR | 6'1" | 178 | ★★★ |
| S | 5th | Damarius Russell← Washington State | FR | 5'11" | 183 | ★★★ |
| S | — | Micah Harper← Montana | — | — | — | ★★★ |
Special Teams · 6
| Pos | Depth | Player | Cl | Ht | Wt | ★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| K | — | Adlai Lounsbury← Washington State | FR | 6'4" | 183 | ★★ |
| LS | — | Caleb Schmidt← Minot State | — | — | — | — |
| P | 1st | Tyler Perkins | SR | 5'11" | 205 | ★★★ |
| PK | 1st | Kyle Konrardy | SO | 6'1" | 205 | — |
| PK | 2nd | Chase Smith | FR | 5'10" | 210 | — |
| PK | 3rd | Jace T. Gilbert | JR | 5'11" | 210 | — |
Projected Season
2026 · win prob / game
Exp. Wins
6.8
Exp. Losses
5.2
Toss-ups
2
bars: model win probabilityfav / toss-up / dog
2025 · pct vs FBS
SP+ Off
28.154
Off PPA
+0.1965
Pass PPA
+0.2967
Rush PPA
+0.1673
Success
45%73
Explosive
1.2135
PlayerMedian (50th)percentile vs league
SP+ Trend
points vs avg team
— Overall— Offense— Defense
SP+ = opponent-adjusted points vs an average team. Overall & Offense higher = better; Defense lower = better.
Advanced
2025 · opponent-adjusted PPA / play
| Split | Offense | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| Overall | +0.19 | +0.09 |
| Passing | +0.29 | +0.24 |
| Rushing | +0.16 | +0.02 |
| 1st Down | +0.07 | -0.06 |
| 2nd Down | +0.17 | +0.05 |
| 3rd Down | +0.37 | +0.50 |
Scoring Trend
2025 · pts/game
PPG For
27.4
PPG Against
20.2
Differential
+7.3
— Points for— Points against
dots: W / L2025
- Overall
- 8-4
- Home
- 4-2
- Away
- 3-2
- Neutral
- 1-0
- Conference
- 5-4
- Non-Conference
- 3-0
- One-Score (≤8)
- 5-3
- Avg Margin
- +7.3
Situational Splits
2025 · record · pts
| Split | Record | PF | PA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | |||
| Home | 4-2 | 32.3 | 18.8 |
| Away | 3-2 | 22.2 | 21.6 |
| Neutral | 1-0 | 24.0 | 21.0 |
| Competition | |||
| vs Ranked (SP+ 25) | 1-1 | 21.5 | 27.0 |
| Conference | 5-4 | 26.0 | 22.9 |
| Non-conference | 3-0 | 31.7 | 12.0 |
Season History · last 12
2 AP top-10 · 7 postseason
| Season | Record | Conf | SP+ | AP | Post |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8-4 | 5-4 | #33 | #12 | — |
| 2024 | 10-3 | 7-3 | #28 | #9 | 1-0 |
| 2023 | 7-5 | 6-3 | #37 | — | 0-1 |
| 2022 | 4-8 | 1-8 | #53 | — | — |
| 2021 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #19 | #7 | 0-1 |
| 2020 | 8-3 | 8-2 | #19 | — | 1-0 |
| 2019 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #24 | — | 0-1 |
| 2018 | 8-4 | 6-3 | #38 | — | 0-1 |
| 2017 | 7-5 | 5-4 | #44 | — | 1-0 |
| 2016 | 3-9 | 2-7 | #65 | — | — |
| 2015 | 3-9 | 2-7 | #77 | — | — |
| 2014 | 2-10 | 0-9 | #97 | — | — |
Recent Form · last 5
3-2 SU · 2-3 ATS · O1/U4
Betting Profile
2025 · 12 w/ line
| Straight up | 8-4 |
| ATS | 6-650% |
| Over / Under | 4-7 O-U |
| — ATS splits — | |
| As favorite | 4-5 |
| As underdog | 2-1 |
| Home | 4-2 |
| Away | 1-4 |
vs closing line · splits show cover–no cover
Recruiting Classes
avg #52 · 10 blue-chip
■ 5★■ 4★■ 3★144 rated signees
| Class | Natl | Pts | 5★ | 4★ | 3★ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | #54 | 203 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| 2025 | #54 | 197 | 0 | 1 | 14 |
| 2024 | #53 | 192 | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| 2023 | #42 | 204 | 0 | 1 | 12 |
| 2022 | #39 | 205 | 0 | 2 | 9 |
| 2021 | #59 | 176 | 0 | 0 | 9 |
| 2020 | #46 | 191 | 0 | 1 | 7 |
| 2019 | #46 | 192 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 2018 | #55 | 185 | 0 | 1 | 18 |
| 2017 | #52 | 181 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
247Sports composite · class rank vs all FBS
Roster Talent
2026
Portal in 48net -7Out 55
Portal avg stars (in / out)3.0 / 3.1
Notable Portal Moves
| ▲ | Isaac Terrell | EDGE | 3★ | ← Washington State |
| ▲ | Jack Janikowski | EDGE | 3★ | ← Washington State |
| ▲ | Maasai King | OT | 3★ | ← Akron |
| ▲ | Jaheim Singletary | CB | 3★ | ← Arkansas |
| ▼ | Rocco Becht | QB | 4★ | → Penn State |
| ▼ | Benjamin Brahmer | TE | 4★ | → Penn State |
| ▼ | Jontez Williams | CB | 4★ | → USC |
| ▼ | Chase Sowell | WR | 4★ | → Penn State |
returning PPA · portal · talent composite · 2026
Injury Report · 0
No injuries reported.
Team News
20 items
- Big 12 team preview: After Matt Campbell departure, Iowa State enters rebuildMatt Campbell took Iowa State to highs they’ve never been before as a program. Now comes the rebuilding process after the Cyclones were gutted.ISU1d
- Linebacker Is Make or Break Player for Iowa State FootballOne Iowa State Cyclones linebacker stands out as a differencemaker on defense.ISU1d
- Penn State Transfer Wide Receiver Poised for Breakout SeasonNittany Lions transfer wide receiver Brett Eskildsen is poised for a breakout season in his first year in Happy Valley.
- BSD YouTube Show: Previewing Penn State’s OffenseWe are just over 50 days out from the season, which means it’s time we start our position previews. This week, we take a look at the offense. How will new offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser do? What can we expect from Rocco Becht? Will wide receiver actually be OK? How about the offensive line? We’ll […]
- Only Vaea Ikakoula Until Penn State Football54 days to go!
- Iowa State Football Receives Shockingly Low Preseason RankingExpectations are incredibly low for the Iowa State Cyclones football team heading into the 2026 season.ISU8d
- Iowa State Football Predicted for Tough First Season Under Jimmy RogersThe Iowa State Cyclones are in a tough spot in their first season under Jimmy Rogers.ISU9d
- Iowa State Football Coach Comments on Depth, Opportunity for Players This SeasonJimmy Rogers provided commentary on the Iowa State Cyclones depth and opportunites that exist for players.ISU9d
- Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard retiring in 2027Iowa State athletic director Jamie Pollard has announced that he will retire in 2027, ending his reign as the longest-tenured active AD at the Power 4 level.ISU10d
- Iowa State Starters Predicted by EA Sports for College Football 27The starting lineup for the Iowa State Cyclones in EA Sports' College Football 27 has been revealed.ISU11d
- Iowa State Football Receives Shocking Big 12 Preseason Poll PredictionThere is at least one coach in the Big 12 that has major expectations for the Iowa State Cyclones.ISU11d
- Summer Summary: July 9thHow did Michigan fare in the portal, Rocco Becht focuses on his health, and how a former OL can succeed in the NFL.
- Three Reasons for Concern: Penn State OffenseWe’re back with one of our favorite Summer time series where we give three reasons for optimism and concern for Penn State football’s offense, defense, and special teams. Today, we address the concerns for Nittany Lion offense heading into the 2026 season. Rocco Becht has more starts than any quarterback in the nation heading into […]
- Iowa State Football Coach Jimmy Rogers Wisely Names Frontrunner for Starting QB JobWho will be the starting quarterback for the Iowa State Cyclones next season?ISU12d
- Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State DL Ikenna EzeoguEdge rusher Ikenna Ezeogu was a reliable starter for Iowa State's defensive line in 2025. What is ahead of him at Penn State in 2026?
- Previewing the 2026 season for Penn State OL Kuol Kuol IIRedshirt freshman offensive lineman Kuol Kuol II may not be a factor for Penn State in 2026, but keep an eye on him in the future.
- Iowa State Football Flipping Four-Star Recruit is SignificantThe Iowa State Cyclones made a major addition to their 2027 recruiting class.ISU16d
- Rocco Becht's best Penn State receiver target can't sneak up on USCRocco Becht's best connection at Penn State could come with a first-year receiver. USC can't get caught off guard by the PSU newcomer
- 2027 WR Chuck Alexander Jr. flips from Louisville to Iowa StateJimmy Rogers has landed the 24th commitment of the 2027 class in Charles “Chuck” Alexander Jr., a native of Cincinnati, Ohio. Following a June camp in Ames, the Withrow University High School Tiger flipped from Louisville to Iowa State according to Allen Trieu. The 6-3, 190 pound, Alexander is a four star recruit according to […]ISU17d
- Former head coach Jim Walden dies at 88Jim Walden, who led the Iowa State football program from 1987 to 1994, died Thursday at the age of 88. Although his overall record at the helm of the Cyclones was 28-57-3, his ability to land major upsets while managing a program severely restricted by scholarship reductions inherited from the previous administration. Despite these challenges, […]ISU17d