Iowa State Football Receives Shockingly Low Preseason Ranking

The Iowa State Cyclones should have a chip on their shoulder with their disrespectful preseason ranking.

Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers speaks to reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The 2026 college football season will be the start of a new era for the Iowa State Cyclones.

There isn’t a team in the country that underwent as many changes as the Cyclones this past offseason. Matt Campbell departed for the Penn State Nittany Lions, with virtually the entire coaching staff and a large chunk of the 50+ players who entered the transfer portal following him.

It has left his replacement, Jimmy Rogers, in a tough spot. With zero returning starters, it is anyone’s guess how this team is going to come together this fall on the field. There is certainly some talent, but mostly unproven, especially at the Power 4 level.

Given the uncertainties, it doesn’t come as a major surprise that they are so low in some preseason rankings. Phil Steele recently released his rankings, including all 138 programs in the country.

Iowa State receives brutal college football preseason ranking

An Iowa State Cyclones football helmet is seen during a news conference for the Cheez-It Bowl, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Steele has Iowa State as the No. 100-ranked school. The most shocking part is that it makes them the lowest-ranked Power 4 program in the country, a truly shocking development based on how the last decade has gone in Ames.

The Cyclones are behind the Washington State Cougars, who come in at No. 95. That is the program that Rogers left to take over as head coach at Iowa State. The closest Power 4 program to the Cyclones in the rankings is the Boston College Eagles of the ACC, who come in at No. 91.

Steele sees a massive gap between Iowa State and their Big 12 peers as well. The closest team in the rankings to them is the Cincinnati Bearcats, who are placed at No. 77.

Cyclones have talent to surprise college football world

Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) throws a pass during warmup before spring football at Jack Trice Stadium on April 25, 2026, in Ames, Iowa | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

If Rogers and his team didn’t have a chip on their shoulders already, this would certainly help build one. They are being painfully underrated coming into the season, being ranked below teams such as the North Texas Mean Green, who lost head coach Eric Morris and several star players to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, who are ranked No. 64.

This is what happens when a team is full of unproven commodities, as they will have to prove just how good they are on the field. There is undoubtedly some talent on this roster to work with; it is just a matter of executing on the field when facing opponents who are going to have an edge in the continuity and chemistry departments early on.

This is a massive undertaking, but not one Rogers is unfamiliar with. In 2025, Washington State had 75 newcomers on the roster, and he still guided them to a bowl game, which they won under interim head coach Jesse Bobbit, who is now the defensive coordinator in Ames.