Three Defensive Players Wildcats Must Watch From Iowa State

We take a look at some players to monitor on the defensive side for Iowa State.

Sep 12, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita (1) and teammates celebrate after the touchdown they made is confirmed by replay against the Kansas State Wildcats during the second quarter of the game at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

Arizona, starting the season 3-0 and coming off its bye week, heads on the road for the first time this season to take on No. 14 Iowa State for its toughest test to this point in the season, and it could end up being one of the toughest tests of the entire year.

Aug 30, 2025; Tucson, Arizona, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Brent Brennan watches the game from the sidelines during the first quarter against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors at Arizona Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images | Aryanna Frank-Imagn Images

The Cyclones are 4-0 to begin the season and are also coming off their bye week. They opened the season with a 24-21 win over Kansas State in Ireland before taking down South Dakota, Iowa, and Arkansas State.

Historically, Iowa State has always had a steady and consistent defense that has ranked towards the top of the Big 12 and sometimes even in the country.

One notable player added to the availability report for the Cyclones on the defensive side of the ball is DB Jeremiah Cooper, who has totaled one interception with nine tackles and three pass deflections so far on the season. He would be the top player to monitor if he is healthy, but his status is in doubt for not just Saturday but potentially the rest of the year, according to rumors on social media. That will be a situation to continue to monitor.

Here are three other players to monitor on defense for Iowa State on Saturday against Arizona.

DL Tamatoa McDonough

One of the players to monitor on the Cyclones' defensive line, Tamatoa McDonough, leads Iowa State on the season with two sacks for a loss of 11 total yards. He recorded both of them in the win over Iowa. He has also totaled eight total tackles.

Sep 6, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones defensive lineman Tamatoa McDonough (58) and linebacker Will McLaughlin (23) tackle Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) during the second half at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The senior transferred to Iowa State this year after spending the previous four years at Yale.

DB Jamison Patton

The leader in total tackles on the season for Iowa State on the season, Jamison Patton, has combined to record 10 solo tackles while assisting on 11 of them. He is also one of four players with an interception for the Cyclones and has one pass deflection.

Iowa State Cyclones' defensive back Jamison Patton (2) celebrates with team mates after an interception against South Dakotanduring the secondquarter in the home game opening at Jack Trice Stadium on August 30, 2025, in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The junior has already totaled more tackles than each of his past two seasons at Iowa State.

LB Kooper Ebel

One of the top linebackers for the Cyclones, Kooper Ebel, has totaled 18 combined tackles with one sack on the season. He totaled 69 tackles with one sack last season as a sophomore for the Cyclones.

Sep 6, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa Hawkeyes running back Xavier Williams (26) runs with the ball against Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Kooper Ebel (47) during the second quarter at Jack Trice Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

What players are you monitoring defensively for Iowa State? To let us know, follow us on our X account by clicking on the link.