Iowa State Cyclones Not Set at Key Backup Spot Starting Fall Camp

The Iowa State Cyclones will be getting set for the upcoming season soon, and there will be no shortage of position battles for the team.

Following a wild offseason in which the team lost a majority of their roster and coaching staff, who will be the starters at multiple spots is still in question. New head coach Jimmy Rogers had to bring in a ton of new players in the transfer portal, and he is seemingly going into fall camp with a lot of open competitions.

How good the Cyclones might be is yet to be determined. Being a bowl team would be a good goal considering all of the roster turnover. Rogers is no stranger to getting the most out of his team, and the Washington State Cougars were able to exceed expectations last year.

When looking at the roster for the team, while many positions aren’t set, they will also have to figure out what the backup situations are going to look like. One spot that Rogers and the coaching staff will be looking at is at quarterback.

Head coach Jimmy Rogers recently spoke about the backup quarterback with Bill Seals of ON3, which seems to be undecided as of now.

“It’s still working right now. And nothing is set. These guys have so many days to the end of this. These guys need to compete constantly and need to feel like nothing is set in stone.”

Breaking Down Backup QB Options

Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor 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

While it is going to be Jaylen Raynor as the starter for the Cyclones in Week 1, who will be the backup seems to be an open competition and potentially a fluid one.

Of the options, Oklahoma State transfer Zane Flores will certainly be in the mix. The young quarterback got some experience as a starter last year in the Big 12, but the results were not good.

The Cowboys were not a good team last year, and the freshman quarterback struggled quite a bit. However, due to his experience as a starter, he is a logical choice.

Furthermore, while it might be Flores who has the edge, Connor Moberly is one of the few players who actually stayed with the program. The red-shirt sophomore will also be in the mix and could push Flores.

Overall, the depth at the position for Iowa State appears to be good, and if something happened to Raynor, they might not be in a horrible spot.

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