Iowa State Cyclones Land Second Tarleton State Texans Recruit in Transfer Portal

The Iowa State Cyclones have secured a commitment from a second Tarleton State Texans player.

Jul 13, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the helmets oof the Baylor Bears and the Iowa State Cyclones and the Kansas Jayhawks and the Oklahoma Sooners during the Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are aggressively rebuilding their roster, working the transfer portal in the first cycle under new head coach Jimmy Rogers.

With more than 50 players entering the transfer portal after Matt Campbell’s departure and additional losses to eligibility exhaustion, Iowa State faces major roster needs.

Rogers has done a great job restocking the Class of 2026 and securing commitments from players in the transfer portal. One school in particular has caught Iowa State’s interest, as they have secured a second commitment from a Tarleton State Texans player.

First, it was wide receiver Cody Jackson. A four-star recruit coming out of Foster High School in Richmond, Texas, he originally committed to the Oklahoma Sooners before transferring to the Houston Cougars.

Iowa State lands commitment from offensive lineman Braden Smith

Jul 14, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet logo during the Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

One year was spent at each of those schools, appearing in six games, before landing at Tarleton State. He didn’t get into a game his first year with the Texans, but came alive the last two seasons, catching 82 passes for 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns.

Joining him in Ames will be offensive lineman Braden Smith. Listed at 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, he was a standout performer for the Texans in 2025, earning a spot on the FCS Freshman All-American Team.

He will have three years of eligibility remaining and looks to be a great long-term building block for Rogers and offensive line coach Jake Thornton in the trenches. Prior to taking a visit to Ames and committing on Jan. 6, he visited the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

Smith performed at a high level all-around with an overall PFF grade of 71.1, playing 940 snaps across 14 games. He truly excelled on passing downs with an 81.7 pass blocking grade, while producing a 69.5 run blocking grade.

Iowa State has landed a commitment from Tarleton State offensive line transfer Braden Smith, his agency @lvrgfootball tells @CBSSports.

Was a first-team FCS Freshman All-American. pic.twitter.com/DfxIFMi0Th

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 6, 2026

An emphasis has been put on restocking the offensive line depth early and often in the transfer portal. It was imperative for Rogers to bring in some experience because Austin Barrett was the only upperclassman on the roster.

The entire starting offensive line from 2025 and key rotational player Trevor Buhr aren’t coming back in 2026. Center Jim Bonifas, left tackle James Neal III and right tackle Trevor Miller all exhausted their eligibility. Dylan Barrett declared for the 2026 NFL Draft while Brendan Black and Buhr hit the transfer portal.

Smith is the seventh offensive lineman to commit to the Cyclones in the transfer portal. With experience and multiple years of eligibility remaining, he looks to be a foundational building block in the trenches for Rogers and Thornton.