Iowa State Football Took Advantage of Cameron Pettaway Not Liking Big 12 Rival

The Iowa State Cyclons had a lot of work to do with their football roster this offseason after a head coaching change.

Jimmy Rogers took over for Matt Campbell, who left for the Penn State Nittany Lions. With more than 50 players entering the transfer portal, he and his staff had to get to work replenishing a roster that retained about 20 players from the 2025 season.

There were needs with every positional group, but one that was hit especially hard was running back. Aiden Flora, a former walk-on who rushed for 58 yards in 2025, is the leading returning rusher.

One of the players who is going to help in the backfield is Cameron Pettaway. The reigning MAC Freshman of the Year with the Bowling Green Falcons, he hit the transfer portal as a multi-faceted playmaker, and it took a little bit of luck for the Cyclones to land him.

Cameron Pettaway had bad visit with Kansas State Wildcats

Oct 25, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; A general view of a Kansas State Wildcats helmet against the Kansas Jayhawks during the second half of the game at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

A big reason that Pettaway is with Iowa State is that his visit to the Kansas State Wildcats went so poorly.

“I was in the portal for a few weeks, and I was at Kansas State. It didn’t go so well, and then (ISU) reached out to me the next day. I drove up in the morning, and I’ve loved it since I got up here,” the former Bowling Green product said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).

The Cyclones are certainly fortunate that their rivals fell short when selling their program to Pettaway. He is going to be a major part of their game plan, both on offense and special teams, as a return man.

As a freshman with the Falcons, he had 900 yards from scrimmage and three touchdowns. He was a dynamic playmaker with the ball in his hands as a ball carrier, pass catcher and kick returner.

What helped Iowa State seal the deal with Pettaway? He revealed that he felt right at home visiting Ames and was excited about the amenities provided at the school that he didn’t have previously.

“It definitely felt like home. The nutrition, the staff, all the stuff that I needed that I didn’t have as much at Bowling Green. It was definitely a big factor,” the talented running back added.

With Carson Hansen, Abu Sama and Dylan Lee all transferring, there is going to be ample opportunities for Pettaway in the Cyclones backfield. He is going to be competing with fellow transfer Salahadin Allah from the Oregon State Beavers, Flora, Easton Miller and Class of 2026 back Caleb Francois.