Iowa State Cyclones Land Commitment From Star Quarterback in Transfer Portal

The Iowa State Cyclones have landed an excellent quarterback in the transfer portal.

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones had a lot of holes on their roster to address, with more than 50 players entering the transfer portal.

New head coach Jimmy Rogers had his work cut out for him, essentially building the program from the ground up. There is expected to be fewer than 30 players from last year’s team coming back; a lot of the returnees weren’t major contributors in 2025.

One of the positions where the Cyclones were lacking experience was quarterback. Rocco Becht, a starter the last three years, decided to enter the transfer portal, likely following Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Four-star recruit Alex Manske from the Class of 2025 also entered the portal, leaving a major void at the most important position on the roster. However, Rogers has made a splash on the transfer portal, which was predicted, filling that need.

Iowa State makes splash securing commitment from Jaylen Raynor

Sep 6, 2025; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) rushes during the first quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

According to Pete Thamel of ESPN, the Cyclones have secured a commitment from Jaylen Raynor. The former Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback will have one year of eligibility remaining, providing the new staff with an excellent bridge quarterback to start the new era with.

A dynamic dual-threat quarterback, Raynor has led the Sun Belt in passing attempts each of the last two seasons. In 2025, his 333 completions, 501 attempts and 3,361 yards all led the conference. He threw 19 touchdowns, with the only negative being 11 interceptions, which led the Sun Belt.

423 yards were added on the ground with another seven scores. Iowa State saw first-hand how productive he could be when the teams matched up on Sept. 13. In a 24-16 win for the Cyclones, Raynor racked up 305 total yards and one score.

"The coaching staff is known for winning," Raynor told ESPN, via Thamel on X. "The head coach is a known winner and done it on multiple levels. It’s a great opportunity, and everyone is super-excited about the opportunity."

Former Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor has committed to Iowa State, he told ESPN. Raynor has started 36 games and accounted for 9,877 yards of total offense and 67 touchdowns in his career. pic.twitter.com/ie4z4UKG1w

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 4, 2026

Rogers won seven games in his only season as the head coach of the Washington State Cougars. Prior to that, he found a ton of success with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, winning a national title in 2023.

As Raynor noted, that certainly made the Cyclones an attractive landing spot. As does the presence of Keith Heckendorf. The former offensive coordinator for Arkansas State was hired as the quarterbacks coach with Iowa State, reuniting the pair once again.

Adding a player of Raynor’s caliber to the roster is a great selling point for Rogers the rest of the offseason. It will be easier to recruit skill position players knowing they will get to play with a dynamic playmaker at quarterback.

His presence likely pushes Connor Moberly, one of the first players to remain committed to the Cyclones after Campbell’s departure, into a backup role entering his redshirt sophomore year.