Michigan State Transfer Meeting Expectations Thus Far With Iowa State Football

Spring practice has presented the new coaching staff of the Iowa State Cyclones with plenty of opportunities.

It is the first time that Jimmy Rogers has his entire roster together for organized activities. Fans are able to see what the staff has planned when it comes to the depth chart and schemes with an entirely new system on both sides of the ball.

With so many new faces on the coaching staff and roster, this is a time to make first impressions. One player who is successfully doing that is wide receiver Evan Boyd.

A transfer from the Michigan State Spartans, he is someone who has stood out during spring practices to wide receivers coach Derrick Sherman.

Evan Boyd meeting expectations with Iowa State

Michigan State's Evan Boyd catches a pass while warming up before the game against Youngstown State on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“A lot of guys have been showing a lot of promise. Omari Hayes started off pretty hot. So did Carter Pabst. Doing some good things. Evan Boyd has been steady for us,” the wide receivers coach said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).

Entering his redshirt junior year, Boyd is seeking an opportunity to showcase his talent. He began his collegiate career with the Central Michigan Chippewas, playing in four games and receiving a redshirt in 2023. Eight appearances were made in 2024, catching 21 passes for 302 yards and two touchdowns before entering the portal and landing with Michigan State.

Boyd was with the Big Ten program one season before hitting the portal a second time, landing with the Cyclones. And despite not coaching him personally, Sherman had expectations for the former Spartan, and he is meeting them thus far.

“I’m getting out of Evan exactly what I thought I would get out of him going in. Although I never coached EB, he was actually coached by a guy I’m very familiar with, my brother at Central Michigan. So, I had a lot of familiarity with his game and how he is and even more so who he is as a person,” Sherman said.

That is the exact kind of impression a player wants to make with a new coaching staff. Sherman knows what Boyd can bring to the field and will be able to put him in positions to succeed and help the team win.

There is a lot to like about his skill set and attributes. But what Sherman is most impressed by is the work he puts in off the field in meetings, helping set an example for others to follow.

"He’s been a great, great addition to the room, well, well beyond his skill set. So, I’m getting exactly what I thought I was getting, but if you ask him, I want more, I want more, I want more,” the wide receiver coach added.

Given how much turnover there was on the roster, Boyd is going to have a chance to carve out a significant role and prove himself. Dominic Overby is the leading returning receiver, and he had only 87 yards in 2025.

However, there will be a lot of competition from fellow transfers Cody Jackson, Omari Hayes, Jordyn Bailey and Carter Pabst before even taking into consideration the incoming Class of 2026 members at the position.

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