The Five Most Important Defensive Pieces for Iowa State Football

There are some defenisve players the Iowa State Cyclones are going to rely on to carry the unit.

Iowa State defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit talks to media during the football defensive coaches media opportunity at the university’s Stark Athletic center on Feb. 13, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Iowa State Cyclones have one clear identity going into the 2026 season, and that’s their defense.

After their former head coach, Matt Campbell, left, Iowa State had a big decision to make, and that was the hiring of their new head coach. They had an abundance of options, but elected to go with Jimmy Rogers, who was a defensive mastermind with the Washington State Cougars. In addition, he brought along Jesse Bobbit to be the defensive coordinator.

Now, the Cyclones are all about their defense. They look like one of the better units in the conference, and potentially could win games off their impact on that side of the ball.

Let’s take a look at the five most important players on this Iowa State defense.

Issac Terrell

Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Iowa State defensive end Isaac Terrell speaks with reporters during Big 12 Conference Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Isaac Terrell is the ultimate leader of the defense. After putting up a seven-sack season with Washington State, he looks like one of the best pass rushers in the conference. He knows both Rogers and Bobbit well and should be able to perform well in the system.

Malakai Ta’ase

Ta’ase recorded 2.5 sacks last season with the Cougars alongside Terrell. He isn’t the same level of player, but he’s still fantastic and should work immensely well under Rogers and Bobbit’s system. He’s a big x-factor for the defense this season.

Montreze Smith Jr.

Smith Jr. is probably the biggest what-if on the defense. He was a phenomenal player at the FCS level, but still has work to do to reach those heights at the FBS level.

A short stint with the Duke Blue Devils proved that he was good enough to make a Power Four roster, but he has to prove that he’s good enough to compete as one of the star defensive pieces.

Jaheim Singletary

Sep 7, 2024; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks linebacker Brad Spence (22) Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back Jaheim Singletary (15) and Arkansas Razorbacks defensive back TJ Metcalf (18) celebrate after an interception during the first quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Singletary is going to be very important for this Cyclones team. His best season was back in 2024, when he recorded 24 tackles in a season, including an interception and two pass deflections. Now, he comes to a new situation where he looks to be key in the secondary for Iowa State.

Caden Crawford

Crawford began his career with the Iowa Hawkeyes, where he didn’t get much playing time. So similar to Montreze Smith Jr., he transferred down to the FCS level, where he dominated.

Now, he comes back up to Power Four football and has a chance to be key for this Cyclone team. But it’s only going to happen if he can keep up with the pace of high-level football and grow from his experiences at Iowa.