Iowa State Cyclones Former Defensive Star Drawing Interest From USC Trojans

A former Iowa State Cyclones star in the transfer portal is already drawing interest for visits.

Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; A Southern California Trojans helmet sits on the field before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. | Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

There isn’t a team in college football that has had more players announce their intentions to enter the transfer portal than the Iowa State Cyclones.

Shortly after it was announced that Matt Campbell would be heading to the Penn State Nittany Lions, players began leaving the program. A staggering number of players are exploring their options, with 51 entering the portal.

Starters, key rotational players and depth pieces alike have been announcing their plans. New head coach Jimmy Rogers is going to have to add a lot of players to the depth chart, with fewer than 30 expected to return from the 2025 roster.

Some positional groups have been hit especially hard, such as the secondary. Virtually every key contributor from that group has left the program, including star cornerback Jontez Williams.

Jontez Williams has multiple visits set

Iowa State defensive back Jontez Williams stands for a portrait during Iowa State football media day at Jack Trice Stadium on July 25, 2025, in Ames. | Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The No. 14 overall-ranked player in the portal and No. 1-ranked player at his position, it should come as no surprise that he is drawing interest from some big-time programs. According to Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports, he has already locked in three visits.

His first visit will be to the USC Trojans on Jan. 3. After that, he will be spending a few days with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from Jan. 5-7. He will head south after that, visiting the Florida Gators on Jan. 8.

Williams has been a major contributor to the Cyclones over the last few years. He stuffed the stat sheet in 2024 with 46 tackles, two of which went for a loss, to go along with four interceptions.

His production was great once again in 2025, but in the team’s fifth game of the season against the Arizona Wildcats, Williams suffered a season-ending knee injury. Prior to that, he had already recorded 15 total tackles, 1.5 of which were for a loss, one interception and two passes defended.

NEWS: Iowa State standout transfer CB Jontez Williams has locked in 3 visits, he tells @On3Sports

His schedule is as follows:

USC: January 3rd
Notre Dame: January 5th-7th
Florida: January 8th

He’s the No. 1 CB in the On3 Portal Rankingshttps://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/MKTdY98Txj

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 2, 2026

Williams was the highest-rated defensive player on the Iowa State defense this past fall. He earned an 83.5 overall grade, receiving a 75.1 run defense grade and an excellent 84.5 coverage grade. His tackling numbers were also strong with an elite 87.1 grade.

With one year of eligibility remaining, a school is going to be adding a stellar player to its football program. Out of the schools he is visiting, Florida could have the inside track if he wants to be closer to home.

A product of Bradford High School in Starke, Florida, he played just more than 30 minutes away from Gainesville, where the Gators play their home games.