Iowa State Cyclones' Preseason Ranking Means More Than You Know

The Iowa State Cyclones are coming off of their best football season in the history of the program, having gone 11-3 while making it to the Big 12 championship game.

It marked the first time in Iowa State's history that the school recorded double-digit victories, and it was obviously a massive step in the right direction for Matt Campbell's squad.

But are the Cyclones actually for real? Are they truly prepared to stand up to the top competition in the country? Or will they wilt under the pressure?

Well, apparently, coaches around the nation feel that Iowa State is on the come up, as the Cyclones were ranked 15th in the preseason coaches poll. Obviously, the AP poll is the big one, and that will not be revealed until Aug. 11. But clearly, Iowa State is on the radar.

To put things into perspective, the Cyclones have not held a preseason top-25 ranking since 2021, when they went into the year ranked seventh. That will likely change this year, as Iowa State seems pretty certain to land somewhere within the top 25 teams in the country.

Iowa State's recognition is a huge sign of things to come

Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell watches his team play the Kansas State Wildcats. | Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

The Cyclones lost a bevy of key players to the NFL Draft this past April. Most notably, wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel departed, and so did cornerback Darien Porter.

Obviously, that stings for Iowa State, especially considering that the Cyclones are not quite on the level of Ohio State or Alabama as far as recruiting is concerned. They also are generally not incredibly active in the transfer portal. So the fact that they have still landed such a positive ranking in the coaches poll is very significant.

Iowa State does boast a legitimate NFL Draft prospect in quarterback Rocco Becht, and the backfield tandem of Carson Hansen and Abu Sama is very impressive. The Cyclones also bagged receivers Chase Sowell and Xavier Townsend via the transfer portal, hoping they could kind of, sort of offset the loss of Higgins and Noel.

There are definitely question marks here, particularly in the aerial attack where Iowa State's pass-catchers are mostly unproven. But there is also major potential thanks much in part to the Cyclones' defensive acumen and Campbell's shrewd coaching as a whole.

Iowa State is undoubtedly on the rise as a football power, and may only be a matter of time before the Cyclones are seriously challenging the big boys.

Iowa State's recognition is a huge sign of things to come

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