Iowa State Lands Former Iowa Recruit From South Dakota Coyotes in Transfer Portal

The Iowa State Cyclones have bolstered their defensive line depth with an addition from the South Dakota Coyotes who used to suit up for the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Aug 31, 2023; Columbia, Missouri, USA; A general view of a South Dakota Coyotes helmet against the Missouri Tigers during the second half at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. | Denny Medley-Imagn Images

New Iowa State Cyclones head coach Jimmy Rogers is searching high and low to upgrade the football team’s roster after a mass exodus this offseason.

More than 50 players entered the transfer portal following the head coaching change. When taking into account the players who exhausted eligibility, the number of departures rises above 60.

That is a lot of talent and depth to replace, with some positional groups being hit harder than others. The defensive line is where Rogers may have done his best work retaining talent with Zaimir Hawk, Jack Limbaugh, Jace Gilbert, Trey Verdon and Vontroy Malone all coming back for 2026.

However, that hasn’t stopped the new coaching staff from adding talent to the trenches. There was a lot of production to replace with the players departing, such as defensive tackle Domonique Orange, and reinforcements have been added.

Iowa State secures commitment from Caden Crawford

Iowa defensive lineman Caden Crawford (97) listens to instructions between drills during the Hawkeyes' final spring NCAA football practice, Saturday, April 23, 2022, at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

The most recent addition to the defensive line group is Caden Crawford, formerly of the South Dakota Coyotes. A talented edge defender, he will help add some juice to the Cyclones' pass rush that was too often nonexistent this past season.

Per PFF, he stuffed the stat sheet in 2025 with 72 total tackles and 44 total pressures. Crawford had four sacks and four batted balls, showcasing some versatility lining up across the South Dakota defensive front.

In 628 snaps, he lined up outside of the offensive tackle 477 times, over the nose tackle 170 times and as a defensive tackle 35 times. That versatility will be useful for the new defensive coordinator, Jesse Bobbit.

Crawford received remarkable grades from PFF for the 2025 campaign as well. His overall defensive grade was an elite 88.2. He excelled as a run defender with a run defense grade of 88.9.

🚨Commitment Alert🚨

Iowa State earned a commitment from South Dakota DL Caden Crawford.

The 6-foot-4, 265-pound Edge had 78 tackles, 27 Solo, 10.5 TFL, & 5.5 Sacks this Season For The Coyotes.

He has one year of eligibility remaining. pic.twitter.com/kBV7nX8hQV

— Cyclone Fanatic (@cyclonefanatic) January 7, 2026

Iowa State got an up-close look at the impact he could have on the field when the teams matched up at Jack Trice Stadium in Week 1. He recorded five tackles and three stops, earning an overall grade of 71.3, a run defense grade of 74.8 and a tackling grade of 77.1.

While there may be some concerns about making the jump from the Football Championship Subdivision, Crawford is no stranger to Power Conference football. As a recruit in the Class of 2022, he committed to the Iowa Hawkeyes and was projected to be a Power 4 starter by Allen Trieu of 247Sports.

Several Big 12 and Big Ten schools were recruiting him from Lansing, Kansas, as a three-star recruit coming out of high school.