Transfer portal: Iowa State loses 7-foot-1 center JT Rock to portal

The Iowa State men have lost one of the top recruits in the 2023 recruiting class for TJ Otzelberger to the transfer portal.

JT Rock, a 7-foot-1 redshirt freshman who was a four-star recruit coming out of South Dakota, has announced plans to enter the portal with three seasons of eligibility remaining.

“I have decided to enter the transfer portal,” Rock posted on social media. “I am appreciative of my experiences at Iowa State and I look forward to what is next.”

I have decided to enter the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility remaining. I am appreciative of my experiences at Iowa State and I look forward to what is next.
— JT Rock (@JTRock12) March 24, 2025

Rock became just the eighth 7-footer in program history when he re-classified from 2024 to 2023 and joined the Cyclones. After spending the 2023-24 season redshirting, Rock played 21 minutes this past season, scoring six points including a bucket in the NCAA Tournament win over Lipscomb.

As a senior, Rock was named the South Dakota AA player of the year after averaging 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game. ESPN ranked him as the No. 68 overall prospect while both Rivals and 247 Sports had him in the Top 100.

Rock is the second member of the 2023 class to transfer, joining Omaha Biliew who led the program after last season for Wake Forest. Rock had offers from Iowa, West Virginia and Kansas before originally committing to Iowa State.

Otzelberger hit the transfer portal hard himself before this past season, bringing in key players Brandton Chatfield, Nate Heise and Dishon Jackson.