Redshirt Freshman Earning More Playing Time Along Iowa State Cyclones Defensive Line

More playing time could be on tap for an Iowa State Cyclones defensive lineman.

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The Iowa State Cyclones have had a few players who have stood out with their opportunities over the first month of the season, regardless of snap count.

On bye in Week 4, this is a great chance for Matt Campbell and the coaching staff to evaluate things. They can identify where changes need to be made on the field with their lineup and scheme. The Cyclones are an impressive 4-0, but there is still plenty of work to do.

Far from a finished product, this could be the first opportunity for some unheralded players to receive a boost in playing time. Iowa State is undefeated, but they have yet to truly find its stride. With a few tweaks to the lineup, things could really take off for the team.

Alijah Carnell Is Earning More Playing Time on Iowa State's Defense

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One player to keep an eye on is defensive lineman Alijah Carnell. He is a redshirt freshman who was a nice get late in the recruiting process as a member of the 2024 class. A product of high school powerhouse Bishop Gorman, Campbell and his staff were certainly happy to add him to the mix.

He appeared in only four games in 2024, playing limitedly. According to PFF (subscription required), he was on the field for only 25 snaps as a freshman. He made a great impression despite the limited action and is someone the coaching staff has growing trust in.

After not playing in the season opener in Ireland against the Kansas State Wildcats, Carnell has made up for lost time. He has already played more snaps in three games in 2025 than he did the entirety of the 2024 campaign.

Playing time has been sporadic with 32 total snaps; 14 in the blowout against the South Dakota Coyotes, seven in the rivalry game with the Iowa Hawkeyes and 11 in the most recent matchup against the Arkansas State Red Wolves. His performance against Arkansas State is what could lead to more consistent snaps moving forward.

A couple mid season highlights @BishopGormanFB @SCNext @247recruiting @bangulo @DHill39 @TravionScott @markpantoni @1CoachCoop @DemetricDWarren @WestonZernechel pic.twitter.com/BlC6r1jV0L

— Alijah Carnell (@Alijjah_2024) October 17, 2022

Carnell was incredibly impactful. Per PFF, he recorded one sack in the tackle and two total tackles. A stop was credited to him, too. His grades were excellent, receiving an 80.0 overall. A 77.4 run defense grade, 73.9 tackle grade and 64.3 pass rushing grade were all produced in a solid all-around game. Those grades ranked first, second, ninth and fifth on the defense against the Red Wolves.

That is the exact kind of performance a player looking to earn more snaps wants to have heading into a bye. When reviewing the tape, coaches will see the impact he is capable of having in such a small sample size and ponder whether or not more playing time is warranted. In the case of Carnell, it most certainly is.

A team that has struggled getting off the field on third downs could benefit from having a more dynamic pass rusher on the field more frequently. The Bishop Gorman product can certainly provide that, improving across the board in Year 2 with the program.