Iowa State Quarterback Jaylen Raynor Has Qualities Jimmy Rogers Needs at Position

Jaylen Raynor has the qualities Jimmy Rogers is looking for in his starting quarterback with the Iowa State Cyclones.

Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) warms up before Arkansas State Red Wolves take on the Northern Illinois Huskies during the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

When Jimmy Rogers accepted the head coaching position with the Iowa State Cyclones, he knew there was a lot of work to be done with the roster.

A change, especially one as seismic as the winningest coach in program history, Matt Campbell, moving on, would lead to players evaluating their futures. More than 50 players decided that entering the transfer portal was the best course of action.

16 of those players were starters, while plenty of rotation depth departed as well. That meant Rogers heading to the transfer portal to find as much help as possible, including at the most important position on the field: quarterback.

Three-year starter Rocco Becht entered the portal and followed Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions. As did four-star quarterback Alex Manske, who had a redshirt season in 2025 as a backup.

Jimmy Rogers loves the confidence of Jaylen Raynor brings

Sep 14, 2024; Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) throws against the Michigan Wolverines during the first half at Michigan Stadium. | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

The favorite to replace Becht as the starter under center is Jaylen Raynor. A transfer from the Arkansas State Red Wolves, he brings a wealth of experience with him as a three-year starter who has one year of eligibility remaining.

One of the things that sold the talented dual-threat on Iowa State was Rogers’s desire not to rebuild and compete right away. Raynor will play a huge role in achieving that goal, having some key attributes that the head coach is looking for from his starting quarterback.

"I'm big on that position being a great leader. He's a really confident kid, too. I'm big on that position being a great leader," Rogers said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network. "And he's got this charisma to him that everybody sees. Confidence to him that everybody sees. It matters at that position."

There will be some adjustments needed. Going from the Sun Belt to the Big 12 is a major jump in competition, but it isn’t totally foreign to Raynor. He has played against the Cyclones twice while also facing the Arkansas Razorbacks and Michigan Wolverines.

This is a new offense he will be learning as well. However, the transition for him will be smoother than most transferring quarterbacks.

That is because he will have a familiar face on the offensive staff to work with, learning offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl’s system: quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf. He was the offensive coordinator for Raynor the last few years with the Red Wolves.

Raynor was incredibly productive during his time at Arkansas State. He led the Sun Belt with 3,361 yards, 333 completions and 501 attempts in 2025. His 258.5 yards per game also led the conference, along with his 11 interceptions.