Iowa State Offensive Line Target Chooses Michigan State in Transfer Portal

The Iowa State Cyclones came up short in their pursuit of an offensive lineman on the transfer portal, who committed to the Michigan State Spartans.

Sep 4, 2015; Kalamazoo, MI, USA; General view of Michigan State Spartans helmet on field prior to a game against Western Michigan at Waldo Stadium. | Mike Carter-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones look to have survived what had been a brutal first few weeks of the Jimmy Rogers era.

He has some big shoes to fill, taking over as head coach of the football program. Rogers is replacing Matt Campbell, the winningest coach in team history, who decided to move on to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

When he announced his departure, the transfer portal became overflowing with Cyclones. More than 50 players announced their intention to leave Iowa State when the portal officially opened on Jan. 2, and a large chunk of those players have followed Campbell to Penn State.

That put Rogers in a tough spot, having to virtually rebuild an entire roster from scratch. Alas, it is something he has experience doing. Last year with the Washington State Cougars, the roster had 75 newcomers.

Michigan State beats out Iowa State for Trent Fraley

Dec 19, 2023; Frisco, TX, USA; Marshall Thundering Herd offensive lineman Dalton Tucker (68) and offensive lineman Trent Fraley (53) line up against the UTSA Roadrunners during the fourth quarter at Toyota Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images | Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images

A similar roster overhaul could occur for the Cyclones in 2026. Fans aren’t going to recognize a lot of the names on the field, but Rogers and his staff have done a great job restocking the talent on the team.

Alas, there have been a few misses on the transfer portal. One player whom Iowa State targeted but did not come away with was Trent Fraley.

The starting center for the North Dakota State Bison has committed to the Michigan State Spartans. They beat out not only the Cyclones, but the Nittany Lions and the Florida State Seminoles as well.

Fraley was an All-FCS performer and a coveted recruit on the transfer portal. He was excellent, especially as a pass blocker, allowing only one sack across 825 snaps while with North Dakota State.

BREAKING: #MichiganState has landed All-FCS center Trent Fraley over Penn State & FSU.

The son of Detroit Lions’ OL coach Hank Fraley allowed just 1 sack in 825 pass-block snaps at North Dakota St.

Massive win for MSU OL coach Nick Tabacca.

Read (FREE) https://t.co/G13gNGfytB pic.twitter.com/33isDjzbFQ

— Justin Thind (@JustinThind) January 7, 2026

The star offensive lineman was the recipient of the Rimington Award, given to the best center in the FCS, and was named the Phil Steele Missouri Valley Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year.

With over 1,700 career snaps played and an incredible pedigree as the son of Hank Fraley, the offensive line coach of the Detroit Lions.

While missing out on Fraley is certainly disappointing given how talented he is, Rogers has found a lot of success securing commitments from other offensive linemen who were in the portal.

As things currently stand, Iowa State has added 10 players along the offensive line. The depth chart has been completely revamped and reloaded with multiple players also in the Class of 2026.