Jaylen Raynor's Transition to Iowa State Will Be Made Easier for One Major Reason

There is one major contributing factor that will help Jaylen Raynor's transition to the Iowa State Cyclones.

Sep 6, 2025; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) rushes during the first quarter against the Arkansas Razorbacks at War Memorial Stadium. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

The most important position on the football field is quarterback, and for the first time in three years, the Iowa State Cyclones will have a new leader on the offensive side of the ball.

After three years at the helm of the team, Rocco Becht is not returning for his final season of eligibility. He has followed Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions, along with several of his teammates.

His departure, along with 50+ teammates who entered the transfer portal, left new head coach Jimmy Rogers with a lot of work to do in regard to the roster. One of the first additions that he made as coach of the Cyclones was addressing their need at quarterback.

Replacing Becht as the team’s starter will likely be Jaylen Raynor. Formerly of the Arkansas State Red Wolves, he will be spending his final year of eligibility with Iowa State. He has spoken highly of the fan base and cannot wait to play in front of them at Jack Trice Stadium after being a visitor in 2024.

Jaylen Raynor excited to work with new and old faces on coaching staff

Sep 6, 2025; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) rushes in the second quarter against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at War Memorial Stadium. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

Raynor is excited to work with new offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl and recently shared what kind of offense fans can expect the Cyclones to play in 2026. They want to set the tone with their physicality and aggressiveness.

Learning a new offense is always going to be a challenge. For three years, Raynor has worked under offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf with Arkansas State and put up some impressive numbers.

His commitment to Iowa State is likely partly due to Heckendorf. He was hired as quarterbacks coach on Rogers’s first staff, and his presence is one that will make the transition for Raynor much smoother.

The quarterback is looking forward to learning Roehl’s offense with his former offensive coordinator.

Presence of Keith Heckendorf is huge for Jaylen Raynor

Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) is pursued by Northern Illinois Huskies defensive end Raishein Thomas (4) in second half action in the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday December 23, 2023. | Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK

"Having a coach who I've been with for three years, and he's also got to learn a new offense and learn the grammar. Learn the rules and things like that," Raynor said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "We can kind of bounce things off of each other and ideas and kind of learn together and help bridge our knowledge gaps from Arkansas State to Iowa State. So, that's a big gift for me."

The talented dual-threat quarterback has led the Sun Belt in pass attempts each of the last two seasons. In 2025, he also led the conference in completions, yards and yards per game, along with interceptions disappointingly. As a freshman in 2023, he had the highest yards per attempt and yards per completed pass.

Raynor will be looking to continue that high level of production in the Big 12, and having Heckendorf on staff to help the transition will help immensely.