Iowa State Football’s Jaylen Raynor Disrespected in QB Ranks

The Iowa State Cyclones needed an entirely new roster this offseason after head coach Matt Campbell departed, taking over as head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions.

One of the first tasks of the new head coach, Jimmy Rogers, was to find a quarterback to lead his team. Rocco Becht, a three-year starter for the Cyclones, followed Campbell to Happy Valley. He found an answer quickly in the transfer portal.

Taking his place will be Jaylen Raynor, who brings just as much experience to the table, albeit not with a Power Four program. He was a three-year starter with the Arkansas State Red Wolves and will now be taking over for Iowa State in the Big 12.

It is a sizable jump he is making, but one plenty of quarterbacks have succeeded in making previously. Alas, just as is the case with the Cyclones as a whole, Raynor is certainly being overlooked and undervalued heading into the season.

Where did Jaylen Raynor land in QB power rankings?

Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) runs with the ball during a spring football practice. — Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) runs with the ball during a spring football practice at Jack Trice Stadium on April 25, 2026, in Ames. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Over at CBS Sports, David Cobb put together quarterback power rankings heading into the season. He has ranked 50 different signal callers, but Raynor is not among them, ranking outside of that.

That is something which will certainly put a chip on the veteran quarterback’s shoulder. He is one of the most productive active quarterbacks in college football, throwing for 8,694 yards and 52 touchdowns in 37 games played. A true dual-threat, he added 1,183 yards on the ground to go along with another 15 scores.

In 2025, he led the Sun Belt with 333 completions, 501 attempts, 3,361 yards and 258.5 passing yards per game. Unfortunately, he also threw the most interceptions in the conference with 11. However, on a positive note, the 2.2% interception rate that he had was the lowest of any season in his career.

Raynor will assuredly not be asked to throw the ball with that kind of frequency while playing under offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl. He is looking to implement a pro-style offense that is a run-first scheme.

Jaylen Raynor will surpass expectations with Iowa State

Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor speaks with reporters. — Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor speaks with reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It has been a learning process this summer for the veteran quarterback, who has to gain experience calling plays himself in the huddle. With Arkansas State, he would look over to the sideline, where a play call was made using signals and signs.

Commanding the huddle to call a play to his teammates takes repetition, but Raynor has been working diligently. Having his Red Wolves offensive coordinator, Keith Heckendorf, as quarterbacks coach in Ames has certainly helped the transition process as well.

With some intriguing talent around him, Raynor will quickly prove that he is at least a top 50 quarterback in the country this season. He will get his first opportunity to do so in Week 1 against the Southeast Missouri Redhawks at Jack Trice Stadium.

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