Breaking Down if Isaac Terrell Can Be Best Defensive Player for Iowa State Football

Will Isaac Terrell be the best defensive player for the Iowa State Cyclones?

Jul 8, 2026; Frisco, TX, USA; Iowa State defensive end Isaac Terrell 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

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting set for the start of the season on Saturday, and the program will be hoping to start the new era on a positive note. 

While the Cyclones will be a big favorite against Southeast Missouri State on Saturday, they must still handle their business. With a completely new roster, there are going to be a lot of moving parts for the team, and how they gel will be important. 

New head coach Jimmy Rogers has had success early on in his career, but the Cyclones job will be a step up for him. Rogers inherited a tough situation, and rebuilding this program isn’t going to be something that happens overnight. However, he did bring in some talented players who will be seeking to be the new faces of the team. 

On the defensive side of the ball, one of those players is going to be senior defensive end Isaac Terrell. 

Terrell Could Be Face of Defense 

Defensive end Isaac Terrell stands for a photo during Iowa State Football media day at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Wednesday, August 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

When looking at the roster for the Cyclones, there are a ton of new faces, and projecting who will be the best players on both sides of the ball can be challenging. 

Most of the roster and the players who are going to be expected to make an impact are new to the program and will have a lot to prove at a Power Four school. 

On the defensive side of the ball, the expectation is going to be for this group to overall be a strength of the team. With Terrell being one of the leaders for the unit, he will be expected to bring the same pass-rushing ability from Washington State to the Cyclones. 

Last season, he totaled seven sacks along with a forced fumble and was one of the best defensive players on the Cougars. After following Rogers to Iowa State, the expectation will be that he is one of the best pass-rushers on the team, and potentially a real threat in the Big 12 overall. 

In his last five games of the season, he was able to record 4.5 sacks, with a 1.5-sack performance in his final game of the season against the Oregon State Beavers. 

As he gets set to be on the Cyclones, there is reason to believe that he could be close to a double-digit sack player. If that ends up being the case, he will likely be the best defensive player on the team.