Iowa State Football Running Back Has Been an Offseason Standout

There are a lot of new faces on the Iowa State Cyclones football team as they prepare for the 2026 season.

With Matt Campbell no longer the head coach, heading to the Penn State Nittany Lions and taking a large chunk of the roster with him, the Iowa State faithful are going to be cheering for what is virtually an entirely new roster and coaching staff.

However, there are a few holdovers from the previous regime that the fan base will recognize. One of them is running back Aiden Flora, who is in line for a massive increase in his role with the squad and has been a standout performer during the offseason program.

A former walk-on player, he has been known mostly for his special teams contributions. He had a punt return for a touchdown against the TCU Horned Frogs in the game that snapped a four-game losing streak for the Cyclones.

Aiden Flora set for major role in Iowa State's offense

Iowa State Cyclones' kick returner Aiden Flora (21) runs with the ball against Kansas. — Iowa State Cyclones' kick returner Aiden Flora (21) runs with the ball against Kansas during the third quarter in the senior day on Nov. 22, 2025, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

He was a difference maker as a return man, gaining 117 yards on two punt returns against the South Dakota Coyotes earlier in the season as well. Flora averaged 21.4 yards per kick return and 26.4 yards per punt return during his redshirt freshman year.

It will be interesting to see how often new head coach Jimmy Rogers uses him on special teams because he is in line for a major role offensively. He is cemented into a top-three role, alongside transfers Cameron Pettaway from the Bowling Green Falcons and Arnold Barnes III from the Tulane Green Wave.

"Those guys will carry the load," Rogers said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, at the onset of the Iowa State Tailgate Tour.

Flora, who rushed the ball four times for 58 yards last season, is the leading returning rusher for the Cyclones. Running backs Carson Hansen, Abu Sama III and Dylan Lee all transferred. As did quarterback Rocco Becht, who all finished the 2025 campaign with more rushing yards than Flora.

79-YARD PUNT RETURN TD 😤

Aiden Flora takes it ALL THE WAY for @CycloneFB ‼️ pic.twitter.com/a5PUfETK33
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 8, 2025

With 15 career carries at Iowa State, Flora is likely going to have more work on the offensive side of the ball by the second week of the season than he has in two years with the program. And it is something that he has certainly earned.

Retaining the Adel, Iowa, native was someone the new coaching staff prioritized when they took over. They believe that he can help make an impact in the backfield and help the team win games.

He is certainly looking forward to proving them right when the 2026 college football season kicks off in a few months.

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