Iowa State Football Freshman Will Have To Earn Offensive Role

An Iowa State Cyclones freshman isn't expected to have a big role early on with the offense.

Iowa State offensive coordinate Tyler Roehl talks to media during a media opportunity at Stark Performance center on Feb. 11, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones have plenty of opportunities up for grabs on the gridiron given the current state of the program.

With zero returning starters after Jimmy Rogers was hired to replace Matt Campbell, it is virtually a completely clean slate for everyone on the roster. There are players Coach Rogers is familiar with who followed him from the Washington State Cougars, but everyone is going to have a chance to earn a role.

That includes incoming freshmen, who are getting acclimated to college football. One of the most intriguing players in the Class of 2026 is running back Caleb Francois, who could be looking at a role in his first year with the program.

However, those opportunities likely won’t come until later in the year after he grows more in his role and gains a further understanding of what his assignments are on the field.

Coaches like what Caleb Francois has shown thus far

Iowa State running back Caleb Francois (20) runs with the ball during the university’s football open practice at Johnny Majors practice field on August 8, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"He's a smart kid, played quarterback in high school some," running backs coach John Johnson said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "So, he kind of, he wanted to know everything that was going on. So, now he's starting to settle on the running back play and he's going to come along."

That willingness to learn as much as possible will certainly help Francois in the long run. The more knowledge he has of how the entire offense operates, not just what the running backs have to do, the better he will be able to execute on the field.

Alas, he is going to have to earn those snaps. The Cyclones have three running backs ahead of him on the depth chart currently: Aiden Flora, Cameron Pettaway and Arnold Barnes III. Flora is a holdover from last year, while Pettaway and Barnes come to Ames via the transfer portal from the Bowling Green Falcons and Tulane Green Wave.

All three of those guys are expected to have prominent roles in the offense. Francois will get the opportunity to sit and learn behind them early on, but it would not be a surprise to see him worked into the mix at some point during the year.

Caleb Francois has work to do to climb depth chart

Running back Aiden Flora stands for a photo during Iowa State Football media day at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Wednesday, August 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Given some of the projections for Iowa State this season, the last few weeks could be used as an evaluation process to see which players are going to be brought back for 2027 and hold prominent roles on the field.

The same goes for Ryver Peppers, who suffered a season-ending injury when he took the field for the first time in 2025. He has yet to gain full clearance from doctors, but could be a factor in the running back mix down the stretch of the season once he gets up to speed.

There isn’t a positional group on the roster as unproven as the running backs, which means plenty of opportunities for players to take advantage of when the season begins.