Transfer Portal Star Commit Cannot Wait To Play in Front of Iowa State Cyclones Fans

The Iowa State Cyclones fan base played a part in this recruit committing to the program in the transfer portal.

Iowa State fans cheer the Iowa State and Kansas football in the senior day on Nov. 22, 2025, at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Iowa | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Over the last few years, Matt Campbell did a wonderful job of building up the Iowa State Cyclones football program.

That is why it was such a tough blow for the school when he decided to accept the head coaching position with the Penn State Nittany Lions. A massive raise and moving closer to family were not something Iowa State could compete with.

Tasked with building upon the foundation Campbell has provided is Jimmy Rogers. Formerly of the Washington State Cougars, he knows what it takes to rebuild a team from virtually scratch, having 75 newcomers on the squad in 2025 and leading them to a bowl game.

Expectations are a little higher with the Cyclones, who entered 2025 as a potential Big 12 contender after playing in the conference championship game in 2024. They fell short of that goal, but Rogers has no plans to rebuild.

Jaylen Raynor excited to play in front of Iowa State fans

Sep 6, 2025; Little Rock, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) rushes in the second quarter against the Arkansas State Red Wolves at War Memorial Stadium. | Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images

He wants to win immediately, which was one of the selling points to quarterback Jaylen Raynor. Formerly of the Arkansas State Red Wolves, he revealed that part of the reason he was solid on committing to Iowa State in the transfer portal was Rogers’s mentality to win now.

He will reunite with his former offensive coordinator, Keith Heckendorf, who was hired to be the quarterbacks coach on Rogers’s first staff in Ames. That was certainly a draw for Raynor, but there was something else that stood out for him: the passionate fan base.

Arkansas State made a trip to Iowa State during the 2024 season. The Cyclones ran them off the field, winning 52-7, and the atmosphere is something that Raynor would never forget. Now, he is going to be on the other side of the festivities as the school’s starting quarterback.

Jaylen Raynor is a true dual threat QB. He’s quick to make decision, isn’t afraid to throw the deep ball and will definitely beat teams with his legs if they’re not careful.

Excited for this new era in Ames. Jimmy Rogers strikes big! https://t.co/gC0FQ3ujTw pic.twitter.com/3AdItIDKDv

— Francis Gene O’Reilly (@ChiClone69) January 4, 2026

"The scenery is super, super pretty," Raynor said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network. "Everybody's super passionate. They do a certain dance [in] timeouts and things like that, where the whole entire stadium gets up. And it's like a dance where they all start wiggling. It's super cool. The fan base is amazing. It's a great venue to play at."

The star quarterback remembers the parking lots full of people tailgating. The “Juicy Wiggle” was seared into his mind, blaring through the loudspeakers in the stadium to get the crowd going during the game.

For one season, Raynor is going to call the unique atmosphere at Jack Trice Stadium home. He is using his last year of college eligibility to play with the Cyclones, buying in instantly to the game plan Rogers laid out and hoping to help him win as much as he can in his first year at the helm.