Iowa State Cyclones Bring In Talented True Freshman From Washington State Cougars

The Iowa State Cyclones were able to get a talented young player to commit from the Washington State Cougars.

Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars helmet sits during a game against the Toledo Rockets at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. | James Snook-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have been very busy as expected in the transfer portal, and they will need to continue to have success following the departure of many of their players. 

From the moment that new head coach Jimmy Rogers took the job, he knew that he was going to have his work cut out for him trying to rebuild a roster that was going to be losing a lot of talent. Just before the portal opened, many of the key players from the Cyclones had announced their intent to leave, and most have found new teams already. 

As expected, Matt Campbell has done a nice job of bringing in many of his former players. This will help jumpstart what he is trying to accomplish with the Penn State Nittany Lions, considering the relationships that he has with many of these players. 

For Rogers and Iowa State, he is also trying to bring in his former players and recruits from the Washington State Cougars and has done a nice job of it so far. Recently, the team was able to get another wide receiver to come over with the addition of Carter Pabst in the portal. 

Pabst Has High Upside 

James Snook-Imagn Images

As a true freshman with the Cougars in 2025, Pabst got some playing time and made the most of it. Not often do true freshmen get opportunities, but the young wide receiver did and performed well. Overall, he totaled nine receptions, 168 receiving yards, and one touchdown. With an average yards per catch of 18.7, he has some explosive big-play ability. 

Pabst is the latest addition to an expansive receiver room that also just recently added Omari Hayes from the Tulane Green Wave. While Hayes is currently projected to be the top receiver on the team, the true freshman might be coming into a significant role right away for the Cyclones with a little bit of experience under his belt. 

With new quarterback Jaylen Raynor coming in, the Cyclones will have to get all of these new players comfortable playing with each other. It takes time to develop chemistry between a quarterback and a wide receiver, and Raynor and his new weapons will have to put in a lot of work. 

Now that Pabst has joined Iowa State, the wide receiver room is starting to take shape. Rogers is seemingly building a young group that could be around for multiple years, and that is a good plan of attack. Hopefully, the true freshman will be able to take a nice step forward in 2026 with his new team.