Arnold Barnes III Committed to Iowa State Football Despite Issues With Visit

There was a hiccup in the process for Arnold Barnes III committing to the Iowa State Cyclones.

Oct 13, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Arnold Barnes III (20) runs the ball as Memphis Tigers defensive back Greg Rubin (24) makes the tackle during the second half at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

For the Iowa State Cyclones, easily the position with the most questions coming out of their spring showcase was running back.

They were short on experience and past production after their top four rushers from last season, Carson Hansen, Abu Sama III, Dylan Lee and Rocco Becht, all hit the transfer portal following the season.

Things got even worse when the spring session was completed. Jayden Jackson is no longer on the roster, and Salahadin Allah, one of the players brought in via the transfer portal from the Oregon State Beavers, suffered a season-ending injury.

That left Iowa State scrambling for answers, and they found one rather quickly in Arnold Barnes III from the transfer portal. Alas, even his commitment to the school wasn’t without some road bumps, as his planned visit to Ames never materialized.

Arnold Barnes III committed to Iowa State despite not making visit

Nov 11, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tulane Green Wave running back Arnold Barnes III (20) warms up before their game against the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes at Yulman Stadium. | Matthew Dobbins-Imagn Images

“I was going to commit to them up front when I went out there,” Barnes said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required). “I was going to commit to them face to face, but the weather was so bad. We got stuck in Chicago yesterday and I didn’t board the flight back to New Orleans until this morning.”

Luckily, that didn’t have an impact on his decision. Despite not being able to fly to Ames because of inclement weather, Barnes was committed to the Cyclones regardless, after discussions with the coaches gave him insight into how they felt about him as a player.

“I didn’t have the chance to go up there. That was a bummer, but I was already going to commit to them and know how the coaches feel about me.”

The 5-foot-10, 216-pound running back comes to Iowa State after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate career with the Tulane Green Wave. He has operated as a backup thus far in his career, but he will be presented with a golden opportunity at an expanded role with the Cyclones.

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Barnes is by far the most experienced option on the roster. There are only two other healthy scholarship players currently on the depth chart: Cameron Pettaway, a transfer from the Bowling Green Falcons and Aiden Flora, a holdover from the previous coaching staff.

In 34 career games, he has carried the ball 161 times for 757 yards and six touchdowns. He hasn’t made much of an impact as a pass catcher, hauling in only 10 receptions for 35 yards and one more score.

His transition to Iowa State will be made a little easier because of a familiar face on the roster. Wide receiver Omari Hayes also spent the 2025 season with the Green Wave before committing to the Cyclones in the transfer portal.