What 4 Unexpected Iowa State Football Starters Can Provide

It’s finally game week for the Iowa State Cyclones, as this weekend they will take on the SEMO Redhawks in their season opener at Jack Trice Stadium. This will kick off the Jimmy Rogers era and showcase who the best players on the team truly are.

After a long time coming, the depth chart is officially released, and there are a few players that made the starting lineup that seems shocking.

Let’s take a look at four of the biggest surprises and what they could offer to the program this season.

Caden Maas

Caden Maas is a 6-foot-5, 315-pound offensive lineman who spent four seasons with the Sioux Falls Cougars at the Division II level. While he didn’t play for two of those seasons, he started in 20 of 21 games in 2023 and 2025.

He was also second-team all-conference last season. It’s clear that Maas was great at the Division II level and has taken the jump to not only make a roster but being good enough to start. It will be intriguing to see how he performs this year.

Trevor Bindel

Trevor Bindel played under Coach Rogers with the Washington State Cougars last year, seeing action in three games before eventually deciding to redshirt.

After following Rogers to Iowa State, it wasn’t expected that he would be able to come into a starting role, but he has completely defied expectations. Maas and Bindel are going to be an interesting duo on the offensive line, as both have outperformed expectations in the fall.

Willie Breland III

Willie Breland III is a JUCO product, spending a pair of seasons with the Mississippi Gulf Coast Bulldogs. He was solid in his two seasons there at cornerback, putting up 10 tackles in his first year and 35 in his second year. He was named to the all-conference team as a sophomore as well.

Ranked as the 14th-best JUCO cornerback in the portal, he committed to Coach Rogers and the Cougars before making the switch to the Cyclones. His immensely different football background could provide an interesting option in the locker room, and now, being on the field as a starter could make his impact much higher.

Brody Miller

Brody Miller, like many players on the team, also began his career with Coach Rogers and Washington State. He didn’t play much his freshman year, but was able to build an identity within the special teams unit.

Coming to Iowa State, he replaces star safety Braden Awls, who was injured during the offseason program, as the starter and hopes to become a key piece of the defense.

Recently, defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit spoke about how former Cougars have done great at learning the system, so hopefully Miller can become another one who benefits from that knowledge.

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