Iowa State Cyclones New Quarterback Has Potential To Become a Star

Will the Iowa State Cyclones have a star quarterback under center in 2026?

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have been very busy in the portal, and they have been able to bring in some good talent. However, one player for the team could have star potential. 

It certainly felt like doom and gloom for the Cyclones just before the transfer portal opened up. Despite trying to retain talent, it was very understandable that a majority of the players elected to head into the portal. 

So far, a lot of them have been heading to the Penn State Nittany Lions to follow former head coach Matt Campbell. However, others have explored some opportunities elsewhere. The Cyclones will certainly lose more talent than they will be capable of bringing in following the departure of so many key players, but the hope will be that Rogers can build something special from the ground up quickly. 

One player that the team should be very excited to have is former Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor. The talented quarterback has actually faced Iowa State in each of the last two seasons, and he has showcased that he could be a potentially outstanding player for Iowa State. 

Raynor Has Star Potential

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Even though he might not have been considered a star player in the transfer portal, Rogers is looking for players to develop, and that could take a big step forward. As a multi-year starter for the Red Wolves, Raynor might have that potential. 

This is an Arkansas State team that has played Power Four conference teams like the Cyclones, so their quarterback will be familiar with the competition. However, what will be the real boost is going to be the talent that is around him. Even though Rogers is rebuilding the team, Raynor will be surrounded with better teammates than he was with the Red Wolves. 

The junior quarterback will be heading into his senior season seeking to have another career year. Over the last three seasons, he has seen both his completion percentage and total number of passing yards improve. In 2025, he totaled 3,361 passing yards and completed just over 66 percent of his passes. These are some impressive numbers, and as a dual-threat quarterback, he also totaled 423 yards on the ground. 

Heading into his senior campaign, there is reason to believe that he will be able to get close and potentially have a 4,000 total yards. If that ends up being the case, the Cyclones will be very pleased with their quarterback, and he will be considered a star for the program.