Iowa State Cyclones Lead College Football in One Brutal Category in Transfer Portal

The Iowa State Cyclones have endured a lot of roster turnover this offseason.

Jimmy Rogers speaks during his introductory press conference as Iowa State’s new head football coach on Dec. 8, 2025, at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones underwent arguably the biggest change in college football after the 2025 regular season came to an end.

Their head coach for the last 10 years, Matt Campbell, left the program. He accepted the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions, which set in motion a chain of events that would alter the program's trajectory.

Tasked with replacing the winningest coach in program history is Jimmy Rogers. He was the head coach of the Washington State Cougars for one season following a very successful stint with the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, which included a national championship in 2023.

When taking over a new team, it is expected that some roster overhauling will occur. Coaches want to bring in players not only who they are familiar with, but who also fit into the scheme they are deploying on the field.

How many starters did Iowa State lose in 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

Rogers knew that there would be some players who left the program, but no one could have predicted what would follow Campbell’s departure. More than 50 players entered the transfer portal, which has led to Iowa State leading college football in a brutal category during this year’s cycle.

As shared by Cody Nagle of CBS Sports and 247Sports, the Cyclones have lost 16 players so far in the transfer portal. That is double the next closest teams, the Auburn Tigers and Florida State Seminoles, who have each lost eight.

The threshold for a player to meet was six games started in 2025. Penn State, which has recruited a lot of the Iowa State players in the portal, has only lost six starters.

Rogers has been able to secure commitments from several players who were on the Washington State roster under him in 2025, but they aren’t even in the top 11 that Nagel shared for starters lost. A lot of the players who have followed him and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit are backup and depth pieces.

Power Four teams with most starters lost to transfer portal so far, via @247SportsPortal

Iowa State - 16
Auburn - 8
Florida State - 8
California - 7
Michigan State - 7
Oklahoma state - 7
UCLA - 7
Baylor - 6
Boston College - 6
Cincinnati - 6
Penn State - 6

(min. 6 games in 2025) pic.twitter.com/5i8LKMXGuP

— Cody Nagel (@CodyNagel247) January 8, 2026

Losing 16 starters in the portal is a massive blow, but there are even more starting players who won’t be returning to Ames in 2026. Between eligibility being exhausted and declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft, the only starter who is coming back is kicker Kyle Konrardy.

There isn’t a single offensive lineman returning to play at least 100 snaps in 2025. The only members of the secondary who reached that threshold who are returning are safety Drew Surges and cornerback David Coffey.

A lot of new faces are going to be on the field for the Cyclones, but it isn’t something Rogers can’t handle. Last year with the Cougars, he had 75 newcomers on the roster, and he led them to bowl eligibility, where Bobbit helped them cross the finish line as the interim head coach.