Jimmy Rogers Has Successfully Restocked Iowa State's Depth at Key Position

Jimmy Rogers has done a great job securing talent at a key position for years to come.

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

When Jimmy Rogers took over as head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, he knew there would be some major obstacles ahead.

He is taking over for Matt Campbell, the winningest coach in program history. That alone puts pressure on him before taking into consideration what the roster will look like.

Whenever there is a coaching change, a roster overhaul will occur. That happened with the Cyclones. More than 50 players entered the transfer portal, and when taking into account the players who exhausted eligibility, the number moves over 60.

Rogers isn’t a stranger to basically starting from scratch with a roster. In his one year with the Washington State Cougars, there were 75 newcomers on the team, and he led the squad to being bowl-eligible. With Iowa State, he is facing a similar undertaking.

Iowa State adds three-year QB Hudson Kurland

Jul 12, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet and logo during Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

One position that was in dire straits was quarterback. The most important position on the field, Rogers saw three-year starter Rocco Becht, four-star recruit Alex Manske from the Class of 2025 and Class of 2026 quarterback Kase Evans all enter the transfer portal or decommit from the program and follow Campbell to Penn State.

That left Connor Moberly, a redshirt freshman, as the only quarterback on the roster. Knowing this was a pressing need, Rogers has done a great job ensuring the Cyclones not only have a high-upside option for the upcoming season, but long-term contingency plans in place as well.

One of the most recent commits to the program is three-star quarterback Hudson Kurland. He was originally committed to Washington State, but has officially flopped to Iowa State, following Rogers.

BREAKING: 3⭐️ QB Hudson Kurland (@KurlandHudson) has Committed to Iowa State.

The 6’4 210 QB from Lake Oswego, OR had been committed to Washington State since June. Kurland went for 2,115 All-Purpose yards and 23 TDs this past year. He also led his team to the Oregon 6A State… pic.twitter.com/heGm7EClVQ

— Parker Titus (@ptgraphics0) January 4, 2026

The Lake Oswego product out of Oregon had been committed to the Cougars since June. But, with the coaching change, decided, like several other members of the Class of 2026, to flip his commitment.

The Cyclones' depth chart at quarterback looks a lot better now than it did a few weeks ago. Along with Kurland’s commitment, Iowa State has its presumed starter for the upcoming campaign locked in as well.

Jaylen Raynor is major addition to Cyclones offense

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

Shortly after the transfer portal officially opened on Jan. 2, the Cyclones secured a commitment from dynamic dual-threat Jaylen Raynor. The former Arkansas State Red Wolves star is someone Iowa State fans know well after watching the teams face off this past season.

Raynor will be following his former offensive coordinator, Keith Heckendorf, to Ames. He was hired to take over as the quarterbacks coach under Rogers and likely played a role in getting his former signal caller to come along.

With one year of eligibility remaining, Raynor is a stopgap option for the program. But, with the going rate for quarterbacks on the transfer portal growing, he is a great addition to the team.

Other additions can still be made, but the Cyclones look to have a clear-cut starter, backup and developmental prospect on the roster to build their offense around.