Former Jaylen Raynor Target Could be Elite Tight End with Iowa State

A former teammate of Jaylen Raynor's could thrive with the Iowa State Cyclones this season.

Oct 7, 2021; Jonesboro, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves Helmet at Centennial Bank Stadium. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Last season, the Iowa State Cyclones had an elite offense. With tons of star players and a great coach to help them out, Iowa State was one of the stronger teams in the nation when it came to offense.

And one of the biggest reasons it worked out was due to the quarterback and tight end duo of Rocco Becht and Benjamin Brahmer.

Becht and Brahmer connected for 445 yards and six touchdowns throughout the season, making them one of the scariest quarterback and tight end duos in the nation.

Unfortunately, though, in the offseason, both players followed Matt Campbell and left for the Penn State Nittany Lions, leaving a massive gap for the future of Iowa State on the offensive side of the ball.

Tyler Fortenberry in position to breakout with Iowa State

Nov 8, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; The Iowa State Cyclones mascot poses for a photo during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

But not all hope is lost, as new quarterback Jaylen Raynor brought in a comfortable tight end who can really help him out in Ames, IA, next season.

Tyler Fortenberry is a junior tight end who spent last season with the Arkansas State Red Wolves, alongside Raynor. And they were a great duo throughout the season.

Fortenberry had 32 catches for 294 yards and two touchdowns in 11 games throughout the season, and was a big part of Arkansas State’s great season that ended in an Xbox Bowl victory.

He had a ton of standout performances in his time with the Red Wolves. Fortenberry had 69 yards and a touchdown on the road against the App State Mountaineers.

***FOOTBALL RECRUITING*** #IowaState will land at least two of Arkansas State's top players from the offensive side of the ball last season, as TE Tyler Fortenberry has committed & will join quarterback Jaylen Raynor in Ames.

➡️https://t.co/pKqmQyjA93#Cyclones #CyclONEnation pic.twitter.com/9Hh6pRlsqN

— Bill Seals (@williamseals) January 5, 2026

He had 61 yards in a game against the Southern Miss Golden Eagles. And don't forget the 40 yards and a touchdown against the Troy Trojans.

In the first seven games of the season, Fortenberry’s yards per catch sat in single digits each game, but as the season went on, he vastly improved. In the final four games, every single game had double-digit yards per catch. Two of those four games saw an average of 15 yards per catch, a career high for Fortenberry. Clearly, he can improve a lot throughout the season.

Fortenberry’s size helps him with blocking as well. Being 6-foot-5 and 240 pounds, Fortenberry can be a two-dimensional player with the Cyclones next season.

Next season, Iowa State has several players who haven’t necessarily proved themselves at a high level just yet. Fortenberry is getting there, and with improvement over the offseason, could turn into one of the Cyclones’ biggest weapons next season, and a potential face of the offense alongside Raynor.