Iowa State Cyclones' Brendan Black Reportedly Set for Visits With Two Schools

Which two schools will Iowa State Cyclones' Brendan Black visit now that the portal is open?

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 will be very busy in the coming days and weeks, as the transfer portal opens. 

As expected, with the transfer portal opening up, a majority of the Cyclones' team is set to leave the program. Even though they were able to quickly replace head coach Matt Campbell with Jimmy Rogers, that didn’t stop players from recently announcing their intent to leave. 

With the portal now officially open, players will be starting to schedule visits and set up meetings with other programs. Due to the relationship that Campbell had with a good number of players on the team, the Penn State Nittany Lions are going to be at the top of the list for many soon-to-be former Cyclones. 

However, with some talented players from the team entering the portal, other programs are going to try to add talent, too. There is going to be a plethora of news and speculation coming out about Iowa State players with the portal open, and players will have to move quickly. 

Even though some of the names for the team might be more recognized than others for the Cyclones, they will have no shortage of essential players set to leave. One of which is a talented starter for the team in the trenches. 

Offensive lineman Brendan Black is reportedly set to meet with two Power Four teams, with visits upcoming with the Nebraska Cornhuskers and South Carolina Gamecocks. 

Black Generating Early Interest

NEWS: Iowa State transfer OL Brendan Black has locked in 2 visits, his agent tells @On3Sports

Black, a 3 year starter for the Cyclones, will visit the following:

Nebraska: January 2-3
South Carolina: January 6-7https://t.co/RlUbB6Fk7q pic.twitter.com/XM4GA2WtGu

— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) January 2, 2026

As a couple-of-year starter for the Cyclones, Black is going to be able to go to his next program and step in right away to help. With interest already coming from the Gamecocks and the Cornhuskers, it will be interesting to see where he lands. 

Currently, he is ranked as the sixth-best interior offensive lineman in the portal, and his loss for Iowa State was a significant blow. Black was a big part of an offensive line that performed well in 2025, and his loss can’t be understated for the unit. 

While the offensive line and interior linemen don’t always get the most attention or recognition, it is a critical aspect of the game, and Black is going to improve whatever program he chooses. For the Cyclones, these will be some big shoes for Rogers and the coaching staff to try to replace. Hopefully, they can navigate the portal well and build a strong offensive line for 2026.