Iowa State Cyclones Smartly Add Multiple Pieces to Offensive Line in Transfer Portal

The Iowa State Cyclones have added two offensive linemen in the transfer portal.

Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of an Iowa State Cyclones helmet during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones lost a ton of players to the transfer portal when it was announced that Matt Campbell was taking the head coach position with the Penn State Nittany Lions, being replaced by Jimmy Rogers of the Washington State Cougars.

Help was going to be needed up and down the roster with more than 50 players entering the portal. However, the position that needed help the most was arguably the offensive line.

There isn’t a single starter from the 2025 team returning in 2026. Eligibility was exhausted by center Jim Bonifas, left tackle James Neal III and right tackle Tyler Miller. Dylan Barrett declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Three-year starter Brendan Black and the versatile Trevor Buhr entered the transfer portal.

Austin Barrett, the brother of Dylan, is the only upperclassman returning to the team. That made it imperative for Rogers and his staff to hit the transfer portal to bring in some experienced players, and that is what they have done in the early going.

Iowa State adds Gavin Proudfoot, Maasai King in transfer portal

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

First, it was offensive tackle Gavin Proudfoot. The former Northern Iowa Panthers standout committed to the Cyclones one day after announcing he would be entering the transfer portal.

A mountain of a human being, listed at 6-foot-7 and 300 pounds, he will have one year of eligibility remaining. He brings some much-needed experience to the Iowa State depth chart, playing 549 snaps this past season in 11 games.

Northern Iowa offensive tackle transfer Gavin Proudfoot has committed to Iowa State, his agents @david_benzaken and @IanGrutman tells @mzenitz and @chris_hummer.

6-foot-7, 300-pounder with one year of eligibility remaining. https://t.co/ucwcETqcXX pic.twitter.com/cdFgTXLbM9

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 4, 2026

Proudfoot earned an overall PFF grade of 64.5. He excelled in pass protection, earning a pass blocking grade of 69.7. There is work to be done in the running game, with a run blocking grade of only 58.8.

Joining Proudfoot as part of the transfer portal is Maasai King, formerly of the Akron Zips. As shared by Chris Hummer of 247 Sports and CBS Sports, he has committed to Iowa State.

Akron OT Maasai King (@51wayss) has committed to Iowa State his agency @thebizofathlete tells @mzenitz and me for @CBSSports.

The 6-4, 305-pound OT has 13 career starts, 524 snaps played and just 2 sacks allowed. Has 1 year of eligibility remaining.https://t.co/ZRmKMCph1h pic.twitter.com/r28nzuei4K

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 4, 2026

He will have one year of eligibility remaining after spending the 2025 campaign with the MAC program. King played 524 snaps this past fall and allowed only two sacks the entire year, producing a 67.5 overall grade over at PFF.

As shared by Cyclone Fanatic on X, King was one of the top-rated offensive tackles in the MAC this past year. Rogers and his staff must have done a wonderful job of selling King on the program because he was scheduled to make a visit with the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday, but he committed to the Cyclones before leaving Ames.