Amiri Barnes Reveals Reason Why He Joined Jimmy Rogers and Iowa State Cyclones

Cornerback Amiri Barnes cannot wait to get things started with the Iowa State Cyclones and Jimmy Rogers.

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones had a historic signing day on Dec. 3. 22 players were part of the Class of 2026, with Matt Campbell securing his highest-ranked class in his 10 years at the helm of the program.

However, things quickly fell apart when it became clear that Campbell was not going to be part of the program any longer. Shortly after Signing Day, it was revealed that he was accepting the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions.

As a result, players were decommitting from the program. The number of players from the 22-player class dropped to six, leaving new head coach Jimmy Rogers with a lot of work to do building the program up for the future.

Slowly but surely, he has restocked the talent in the Class of 2026. Along with the six holdovers who committed when Campbell, there are now 18 more players who have given hard commits to the Cyclones.

Amiri Barnes excited to get going with Jimmy Rogers, Iowa State

Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones new football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during the Cyclones game with the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

A lot of those players were committed to the Washington State Cougars, which is where Rogers recruited them originally. Like so many of the Iowa State commits who followed Campbell to Penn State, players wanted to follow Rogers to Ames.

One of the players who flipped from the Cougars to the Cyclones is cornerback Amiri Barnes. A three-star player from Cy Lakes High School in Katy, Texas, he was the No. 153-ranked cornerback in the Class of 2026 and No. 246 in the state on the 247Sports Composite.

Coming out of high school, he had 13 offers before choosing Washington State. However, he is now heading from Pullman to Ames and is incredibly excited for what lies ahead to play in front of an incredible fan base at Jack Trice Stadium.

“I love the Iowa State fans. They really show love. I’m excited to see them when it’s time to play. Coach Rogers is the real deal. He’s gonna tell you what it is and how it is! I like that about him. Can’t wait to get to Ames to get to work,” he said in an exclusive interview with Cyclone Fanatic, shared on X.

Amiri Barnes is all in on Ames.

“I love the Iowa State fans. They really show love. I’m excited to see them when it’s time to play.”@whois_amiri shared his thoughts exclusively with Cyclone Fanatic on choosing Iowa State. pic.twitter.com/wTCeQEa1kM

— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) January 6, 2026

Barnes could have a chance to make an impact right at the start of his collegiate career. The secondary was hit as hard as any part of the Iowa State roster by attrition this offseason, with only two players, safety Drew Surges and cornerback David Coffey, returning who played at least 100 snaps last season.

Barnes is one of three freshmen who are in the Class of 2026, along with JUCO transfer Willie Breland Jr. Four other cornerbacks, including Seth Johnson from the Montana State Bobcats, have committed to the program in the transfer portal.

There are opportunities up for grabs, and competition will be fierce in the offseason for players looking to earn snaps.