4 Iowa State Football Freshmen Who Can Get Into Defensive Lineup

The Iowa State Cyclones are fully immersed in fall camp, preparing for the 2026 season and the start of the Jimmy Rogers era.

He is tasked with a massive undertaking, replacing the most successful head coach in program history. Matt Campbell departed this winter, accepting the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions and bringing nearly the entire coaching staff and most eligible players along with him.

That has put Rogers in a tough spot entering Year 1, but if the Cyclones are going to find success, it will be on the back of their defense. Led by defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit, there is some real talent on that side of the ball even if they are lacking household names.

Given the state of the program, plenty of opportunities are up for grabs entering fall camp. Players are competing for snaps, and there are a few freshmen who could push their way into the lineup this fall.

Several freshman standing out for Iowa State at fall camp

Iowa State defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit talks to media. — Iowa State defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit talks to media during the football defensive coaches media opportunity at the university’s Stark Performance Center on Feb. 13, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

One player to keep an eye on is Landon Kalsbeck. He is a linebacker, which is the positional group Bobbit spends his time with during practice, and has impressed the defensive coordinator to this point.

After a strong performance at practice over the weekend, Bobbit hinted that Kalsbeck could find his way onto the field sooner rather than later.

“I think that's someone that you could see definitely making some immediate impact on special teams or defense,” Bobbit said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network.

In the secondary, two players who have stood out are Matthew McClain and Brady Hummel. Both players were originally committed to the Washington State Cougars to play under Rogers and Bobbit there, but decommitted and elected to follow them to Ames.

“And then you might see when you look at guys like Matthew McClain and Brady Hummel at safety, like those guys are out there, we're double repping everything. So guys are getting a lot of reps,” Bobbit said.

With Braden Awls, a transfer from the Toledo Rockets, suffering a season-ending injury during the offseason program, there is playing time available at the safety position. One of the freshmen could certainly earn reps on defense with a strong showing in camp.

Another player to keep an eye on in the secondary, at cornerback, is Toe Sanders. Just like McClain and Hummel, he was committed to Washington State and took the opportunity to decommit when the coaching change occurred.

An early enrollee on Jan. 20, 2026, he is putting that extra time on campus to good use.

“When you look at the corner room, Toe Sanders was here as an early enrollee and has gotten a lot of good reps. And so those are just a few of the names specifically that I think will be on the defensive side of the ball showing up in games come this fall,” added Bobbit.

Receiving immediate contributions from freshmen would certainly be good news for the program’s long-term outlook and the coaching staff’s ability to bring in impactful talent who can help win games right away.

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