Iowa State’s Offensive Line Leader Could Be Akron Transfer

An Akron Zips transfer could emerge as the leader along the offensive line for the Iowa State Cyclones.

Sep 17, 2022; Knoxville, Tennessee, USA; Akron Zips helmets sit on the sidelines in the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Neyland Stadium. | Bryan Lynn-Imagn Images

It’s clear that over the last few years, the Iowa State Cyclones have been far from focused on their offensive line. It’s been a clear hole in the roster and a big issue for Iowa State recently.

Over the offseason, Iowa State lost its head coach, Matt Campbell, to the Penn State Nittany Lions, along with a majority of staff and players. It’s been an unfortunate turn of events for the Cyclones, but they certainly have a bright future ahead.

This season, the Cyclones aren’t prioritizing talent, but more so youth, with the help of a few veteran leaders to be their star players.

One of their veteran leaders this season will be Maasai King, who has had a unique pathway to the highest level of college football.

Maasai King can be leader for Iowa State in trenches

Iowa State offensive line coach Jake Thornton talks to media during a media opportunity at Stark Performance center on Feb. 11, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

King entered college back in 2023, where he played for the Lackawanna Falcons at the JUCO level. In year one, he redshirted before dominating the following season.

King earned himself a transfer to the Akron Zips, where he strived to become a starter. At first, he sat on the bench, but he appeared in games and brought consistent positivity to the Zips’ offensive unit. Late in the season, King established himself as a starter.

Throughout the year, King played in 11 of 12 games, getting the start in five, which all came late in the season. That was enough to land him a spot in the transfer portal with a Power Five program in Iowa State.

Akron OT Maasai King (@51wayss) has committed to Iowa State his agency @thebizofathlete tells @mzenitz and me for @CBSSports.

The 6-4, 305-pound OT has 13 career starts, 524 snaps played and just 2 sacks allowed. Has 1 year of eligibility remaining.https://t.co/ZRmKMCph1h pic.twitter.com/r28nzuei4K

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 4, 2026

King finds himself in a tough situation. Typically, established programs in the Power Conferences have returning offensive linemen who are leaders of the squad, but Iowa State kind of has the opposite. The majority of linemen are all incoming players from different teams at completely different levels, meaning there have to be transfers coming in who are willing to step up.

King has all of the tools to be able to do that. His story presents consistency, fight, and trust that he can take on a desired role. And this year, his strived goal should be to be the leader of the Cyclone offensive line.

King could very well be one of the most underrated pickups of the transfer portal window for Iowa State. Not only has he stepped up in every season, but he has also proved that he can succeed wherever he goes. With a struggling offensive line unit incoming, King can be the perfect player to step up for the Cyclones and become the leader of the offense.