Jaylen Raynor Reveals Reason He Committed to Jimmy Rogers and Iowa State Cyclones

What drew quarterback Jaylen Raynor to the Iowa State Cyclones in the transfer portal?

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

Iowa State Cyclones new football head coach Jimmy Rogers had his work cut out for him, taking over for Matt Campbell.

There was a mass exodus from the roster with more than 50 players entering the transfer portal. They have had 16 starters depart via the portal, which is more than any other program in the country.

That put Rogers behind the eight-ball in his first year at the helm of Iowa State. He had to replace a ton of talent, including at the quarterback position, where three-year starter Rocco Becht isn’t returning. He is one of many players following Campbell to Penn State.

In need of a signal caller to lead his offense, Rogers hit the transfer portal. Early on, he found his guy: Jaylen Raynor of the Arkansas State Red Wolves. He is someone Cyclones fans are familiar with after Iowa State played against Arkansas State this past season.

Jimmy Rogers sold Jaylen Raynor on winning immediately

Dec 11, 2025; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones new football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during the Cyclones game with the Iowa Hawkeyes during the first half at James H. Hilton Coliseum. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

A dynamic dual-threat, it certainly helped the Cyclones’ chances of landing him when it was announced that Rogers hired his former offensive coordinator, Keith Heckendorf, as the quarterbacks coach on his first staff.

That relationship certainly played a part in the talented quarterback taking his talent to Ames. However, there was one thing that sold Raynor on the Cyclones being the place for him: Rogers’s desire to win immediately.

"His plan is to win now," Raynor said via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "Nobody's waiting. This isn't a build year or anything like that. We plan to put together a team that's going to be able to compete for the conference, and, obviously, get a spot in the playoffs and compete for the national championship.”

Arkansas State’s Jaylen Raynor is putting up video game numbers early in the Xbox Bowl. Already up to 3 TD passes in the first half.

Doesn’t hurt when receivers like Hunter Summers are making catches like this one. pic.twitter.com/l7IEbY3tqO

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) December 19, 2025

Raynor drew interest from the UFC Knights and USF Bulls. But after making a visit to campus and speaking with Rogers, he was sold on Iowa State being the ideal fit for him. Along with Heckendorf, one of his pass catchers from the Red Wolves, tight end Tyler Fortenberry, also decided to transfer to Iowa State.

Raynor improved his production each year he was with Arkansas State, with Heckendorf as the offensive coordinator for the last three years. He completed 66.5% of his passes for 3,361 yards, which led the Sun Belt. His 333 completions and 501 pass attempts also led the conference, along with his 258.5 yards per game and, unfortunately, his 11 interceptions.

With one year of eligibility remaining, his desire to compete for a national championship lined up perfectly with what Rogers is looking to accomplish in his first year with the program.