Jimmy Rogers Comments on Upside of Iowa State Defender

An Iowa State Cyclones linebacker has as much upside as anyone on the roster.

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers talks to his guests before the university’s football open practice at Johnny Majors practice field on August 8, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There are just 24 days until opening day at Jack Trice Stadium, where the Iowa State Cyclones will compete against the SEMO Redhawks to open the year. And until then, fall camp is going strong.

Every single day, Iowa State players have been working hard to compete for starting positions, learning the system better, and bonding as a team.

Over the offseason, the Cyclones hired Jimmy Rogers as their next head coach, a former coach of the South Dakota State Jackrabbits and the Washington State Cougars. And of course, he brought in an abundance of transfers as well.

One of the most intriguing players who transferred in this year was Montreze Smith Jr. The linebacker started his collegiate career with the Duke Blue Devils, where he didn’t see much time on the field, before spending a year at the FCS level with the Austin Peay Governors.

Can Montreze Smith Jr. live up to expectations?

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

It’s very hard to evaluate a player like Smith Jr. because while he was great at the FCS level, showing strides of potentially being great, he also didn’t perform well at Duke just a year prior. That makes Smith Jr. one of the biggest X-factors for Iowa State’s team this season.

Coach Rogers spoke to the media after a recent practice, where he made an interesting statement about Smith Jr.

“He needs to learn more. He has the talent to do it just needs the reps to grow, and he'll grow. I'm very confident in that, and what Montreze Smith Jr. will do here."

The statement tells us a few things. First, Smith Jr. has the talent to become a star for this Cyclone team. He’s showcased it in front of Rogers, and he does believe that he has it in him. On the other hand, he is raw and has work to do before getting there. If he’s able to put everything together, he’s a great player, but he has to be able to actually put his game together.

This further proves my X-factor point. An X-factor is typically a single player who has such a high standard deviation in terms of how good he could be that it could determine how well the team plays as a whole.

There are still a few weeks until the season starts, providing Smith Jr. the opportunity to prove whether he’s actually able to put things together and reach his potential, or if he will just be another guy on the roster.