Iowa State Cyclones Sorely Miss Defender Who Is Thriving With Texas A&M Aggies

An Iowa State Cyclones defender who decided to transfer to the Texas A&M Aggies is sorely missed on that side of the ball.

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One of the issues that the Iowa State Cyclones have run into during the 2025 college football season has been struggles along the defensive line. It was a question mark coming into the campaign and it remains one.

In their last two games, both losses, the Cyclones were manhandled in the trenches. An inability to get pressure on the quarterback or slow down the opponent's run game led to some disappointing outcomes.

Iowa State lost to the Cincinnati Bearcats 38-30 before being defeated by the Colorado Buffaloes 24-17. Quarterbacks Brendan Sorsby and Kaidon Salter both found a lot of success through the air and with their legs.

With the Cyclones secondary decimated by injuries, losing star cornerbacks Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams to injury, the defensive line needs to step up. Right now, the only consistent performer is defensive tackle Domonique Orange.

Tyler Onyedim transfer to Texas A&M has hurt Iowa State

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That unit being such a liability may not have occurred if Iowa State had been able to retain Tyler Onyedim. A starter in 21 out of 26 games for the Cyclones in 2023 and 2024, he opted to enter the transfer portal last winter.

He was productive in his Cyclones career, registering 90 tackles in 40 games with 12 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. One interception, one pass defended and one fumble recovery were also recorded.

That is solid production that Iowa State had to find elsewhere to replace. The 6-foot-4, 290 pound senior was part of an impressive transfer portal group for the Texas A&M Aggies, headlined by wide receivers Mario Carver and KC Concepcion.

While Onyedim may have been overlooked, he has been impactful this year with the undefeated Aggies. So much so, Antonio Morales and Sam Khan Jr. of The Athletic (subscription required) highlighted him as one of the best under-the-radar transfer players in the country.

Tyler Onyedim has thrived for Texas A&M

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In seven games thus far, he has 27 total tackles, which is the most among defensive linemen on the team. 2.5 of those tackles have been for a loss, to go along with half of a sack. He has totaled 10 pressures, with nine hurries and one hit, which is good for fourth on the team.

That kind of disruptiveness along the defensive line is exactly what the Cyclones are missing. Onyedim would certainly be a nice piece to have in their defensive line rotation alongside Orange.

The Aggies are 7-0 and ranked No. 3 in the country. They are playing at such a level in part because of the contributions Onyedim has provided defensively.