Campbell brings in impressive first class for Iowa State

AMES, Iowa (AP) Matt Campbell took his first step toward winning over Iowa State fans Wednesday, bringing in a recruiting class that appears to be among the

AMES, Iowa (AP) Matt Campbell took his first step toward winning over Iowa State fans Wednesday, bringing in a recruiting class that appears to be among the program's best in recent memory.

The Cyclones signed 36 players, including a handful of junior college newcomers who could push for starting jobs by August. Iowa State's class of 2016 was even rated among the top 50 nationally by some recruiting publications, a rarity for a school with an historic lack of success.

Experienced newcomers such as defensive backs D'Andre Payne and Thadd Daniels were augmented with the likes of incoming freshmen Sean Foster - the rare consensus four-star recruit to commit to Iowa State out of high school - and 6-foot-6 tight end Chase Allen.

Other things to know:

Top 25 Class: No.

Best in class: DB D'Andre Payne. He played as a freshman at Tennessee after turning down offers from Michigan, Ohio State, Clemson and others coming out of high school. Payne spent a year at Arizona Western focused on academics before landing at Iowa State, where he is expected to make an immediate impact.

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

WIN $2KIN TICKETS

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

• Georgia
• Utah
• Alabama
• UCLA
• Notre Dame
• Texas
• Miami (FL)
• Tennessee
• Indiana
• BYU
• Kentucky
• Texas Tech

PREREGISTER TO PLAY

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See Official Rules for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

Best of the rest: At 6-foot-8 and 285 pounds, Sean Foster has the pedigree to become Iowa State's future left tackle. Eyioma Uwazurike has potential as a defensive end, and quarterback Jacob Park is a former Georgia Bulldog who at the very least gives the Cyclones a backup to incumbent Joel Lanning.

Late addition: Twin defensive linemen Jaquan and Joshua Baily, both 6-foot-3 from Jacksonville, Florida. Iowa State always seems to be in need of line help, and getting two three-star recruits from Florida on signing day was considered a coup.

One that got away: John Raridon, a tackle from nearby West Des Moines, Iowa, chose Nebraska over the Cyclones and the Hawkeyes.

How they'll fit in: Campbell signed players from nearly 20 states, a sign that he intends to have a national footprint in recruiting. His offensive philosophy will be more run-focused that former coach Paul Rhoads, and no one is quite sure how the Cyclones will attack defensively. But Campbell now has some fresh talent to bolster a veteran group.

---

For the full list: https://cyclones.exposure.co/2016-national-signing-day