Jimmy Rogers Speaks on Depth, Consistency of Wide Receivers

Iowa State Cyclones wide receivers received some praise from head coach Jimmy Rogers.

Oct 4, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Dominic Overby (11) makes a catch against Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Matthew McDoom (0) in the first half at Nippert Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones are going into the 2026 season with a lot of uncertainty.

With a new-look wide receiver room, as well as a new quarterback, it’s going to be tough to predict how Iowa State will compete through the air this season.

Going into the year, the Cyclones will almost certainly start Jaylen Raynor at quarterback. The three-year starter with the Arkansas Red Wolves showcased consistency, dual-threat ability, but most importantly, leadership. And that’s going to go a long way for Iowa State this season.

But his wide receiver targets are what could really make this team great. They have Omari Hayes coming in from the Tulane Green Wave, Cody Jackson from the Tarleton State Texans, Evan Boyd from the Michigan State Spartans, Carter Pabst from the Washington State Cougars, Jordyn Bailey from the TCU Horned Frogs, Dominic Overby as a returner, and a bunch of freshmen all fighting for positions.

Iowa State has intriuging set of wide receivers on roster

Dec 20, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Tulane Green Wave wide receiver Omari Hayes (1) is tackled by Mississippi Rebels linebacker Andrew Jones (44) during the first half of a game at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Head Coach Jimmy Rogers recently spoke about the positional group.

“Wide receiver wise, it’s kind of a good rotation there between Boyd, Pabst, Jackson, that room is growing in depth, because what they lack in certain areas they make up for in consistency inside their play and they and they run the routes at the right time which has made it easier for the quarterbacks to get the ball out on rhythm and on time which I think is the hardest thing to do in college football. There’s a lot of times where you watch things defensively and you see so many broken plays and you wonder if it’s a new play but later you realize the receiver ran the wrong route. But they're super talented and just don’t know where they’re going. Yeah, the wide receivers have done great.”

This is a good look for the room, and knowing that the coach believes in them is fantastic for the confidence in the squad. In addition, he alludes to the fact that they have lots of strengths and are able to complete important parts of the game. The rhythm the wide receivers have with quarterbacks is immensely important, as Rogers stated.

The wide receiver room overall has a ton of positives. Each player has their own traits, whether it's physicality, route running, IQ, etc, and they all use that to their advantage.

It creates diversity amongst the room, which can be great throughout the season, especially against Big 12 competition, which is primarily known for having many different styles. The overall depth of the room is fantastic, and their star power is there as well.

Iowa State has a few more weeks of fall camp before they begin their season on Sept. 5th against the SEMO Redhawks. And in the meantime, the receiver room will definitely work hard to make sure that they shine when it matters most.