Pressure Is on Iowa State Cyclones Wide Receivers To Start Producing

The wide receivers are leaving a lot to be desired for the Iowa State Cyclones thus far.

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The Iowa State Cyclones have gotten off to as good a start as anyone could have hoped for, going 3-0.

Their schedule hasn’t been easy to navigate, but they have gotten the job done. Heading to Ireland to play in Week 0 against a ranked Kansas State Wildcats team was no small task. It got things started on the right foot, especially since it was a Big 12 contest as well.

In Week 2, the Cyclones returned to Ames and handled business in their home opener against the South Dakota Coyotes. A 55-7 blowout enabled head coach Matt Campbell to go deep into his roster, with 80 players seeing the field. Iowa State stayed at home for Week 2, hosting the Iowa Hawkeyes in the Cy-Hawk Rivalry Game.

The trophy will be staying in Ames for another year. The Cyclones won the game 16-13 courtesy of heroics from kicker Kyle Konrardy. He booted a 54-yard field goal with under two minutes remaining to give his team a three-point edge. It earned him several weekly awards and was eerily similar to the 2024 game, when he knocked through a 54-yard field goal in Iowa with seconds remaining.

Iowa State Has Issues Brewing With Wide Receiver Group

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An undefeated record is always nice to have. However, Iowa State knows that there is plenty of work remaining to do. Some power rankings don’t view the team as highly as they are ranked in the polls. How can they change that perception?

One thing that would help is the team’s playmakers, more specifically, their wide receivers, figuring things out. In the opinion of Brad Crawford of CBS Sports, the harsh reality facing the Cyclones right now is that their “Wide receivers are missing in action.” It is hard to argue against that based on the production through three games.

Quarterback Rocco Becht is playing very well, throwing six touchdowns compared to zero interceptions. But he is averaging less than 200 yards passing per game. Of course, some of that is by design. However, the lack of a game-breaking threat opponents need to game plan for certainly hurts.

Some early-season struggles were expected. It is never easy replacing highly talented players, which Iowa State was having to do. Their two leading receivers from last season, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel, were both selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. They have remained teammates at the next level, being picked in the second and third rounds, Nos. 34 and 79, respectively, by the Houston Texans.

Which Cyclones Receivers Will Step Up?

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Both were big-play, explosive threats in the passing game, surpassing the 1,180-yard mark. Currently, that element is lacking from this year’s offense. Brett Eskildsen is averaging 23.1 yards per reception, but 66 of his 162 yards this season came on a single reception. Chase Sowell, a transfer from East Carolina, has not made an impact yet, with only two receptions for 17 yards.

The passing offense has been funneled mostly through the team’s tight end duo, Gabe Burkle and Benjamin Brahmer. They are first and second in receptions, combining for 23 thus far, and second and third in yardage with 149 and 106, respectively. That is 42.8% of Becht’s yardage this season recorded by his tight ends.

While the team is 3-0 right now, something has to change in the passing game sooner rather than later. For the Cyclones to contend for a Big 12 title, they are going to have to put more pressure on opponents through the air. Becht’s taking his performance to another level; now the wide receivers just follow suit.