Iowa State Cyclones Make Freshmen Swap Along Defensive Line To Maintain Eligibility

The Iowa State Cyclones had a new freshman in the defensive line rotation against the Arizona State Sun Devils.

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The 2025 college football season has gone off the rails for the Iowa State Cyclones. After starting off 5-0, they are currently riding a four-game losing streak that has featured some brutal performances on the field.

Nothing has gone right for the Cyclones team that is attempting to overcome some massive hits in the injury department. Their secondary has been ravaged, leading to a ragged defense getting picked apart weekly by opposing quarterbacks, both through the air and on the ground.

With their championship aspirations dashed, attention should turn to the future for Iowa State. Head coach Matt Campbell can evaluate which players are going to be part of the core moving forward and what areas of the roster need improvement this offseason.

With only three games remaining in the regular season, the depth chart could start to change as well. A delicate balancing act is done by the coaching staff not to exhaust redshirt eligibility throughout the year.

Freshmen can play up to four games without losing the ability to redshirt. That is likely why a change was made during the Arizona State Sun Devils game this past weekend.

Iowa State freshman Jack Limbaugh made collegiate debut

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It was the first time since the game against the Arkansas State Red Wolves that defensive lineman Trey Verdon didn’t get on the field. He had played in four consecutive games, and the coaching staff is likely trying to maintain his redshirt status.

In his place, another freshman stepped in: Jack Limbaugh. It was the first action of the season that he saw, playing on special teams as part of the kickoff coverage. In 11 snaps, he has made one tackle, and his 67.8 special teams grade is fifth best on the team.

He could certainly see some opportunities on the defensive side of the ball in the coming weeks. Since bowl games do not count toward the four-game maximum, Limbaugh can play in every contest the rest of the season and maintain redshirt status for 2026.

The only other freshman who got into the game against Arizona State was safety Joshua Patterson. That is now three games he has appeared in, and it will be difficult to keep him out of the lineup moving forward, with how many injuries the team is dealing with in the secondary.

He and LaMarcus Hicks will likely make one appearance each out of the last three games to avoid exhausting their redshirt.

The only other freshmen with multiple appearances in 2025 for the Cyclones are quarterback Alex Manske, wide receiver Xzavion Robinson and defensive tackle Ka’Mori Moore.