Iowa State Cyclones' Jaylen Raynor Gets Compared to Eagles Star

The new quarterback of the Iowa State Cyclones recently was compared to a star player from the Philadelphia Eagles.

Arkansas State Red Wolves quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) warms up before Arkansas State Red Wolves take on the Northern Illinois Huskies during the Camellia Bowl at Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala., on Saturday, Dec. 23, 2023. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Iowa State Cyclones have been extremely busy the last several weeks putting together basically a completely new roster for the 2026 season. Now, it will be interesting to see how some of this new talent can perform. 

Following the departure of long-time head coach Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Cyclones were quickly able to go out and grab Jimmy Rogers from the Washington State Cougars. This was a solid addition and a quick pivot for the program that undoubtedly helped their process this winter. 

Getting Rogers in so quickly following the loss of Campbell was key for him to be able to start scouting players and working on trying to keep some of the ones from Iowa State. While a majority of them understandably left in the transfer portal, the new head coach was able to do a strong job of rebuilding the roster with a lot of depth. 

With so much turnover, it will be interesting to see how things all work out for the program, but one player to be excited about is their new quarterback. 

In a recent interview with William Seals from Cyclone Report and On3, new head coach Jimmy Rogers compared his new quarterback, Jaylen Raynor, to Philadelphia Eagles star Jalen Hurts in terms of the presence that he brings. 

High Praise for Raynor

Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Iowa State is certainly familiar with Raynor and has seen him on the opposite sidelines the last two years. The former quarterback of the Arkansas State Red Wolves was a very appealing addition for the Cyclones, and being compared to Jalen Hurts in any capacity is high praise, considering he was a Super Bowl MVP recently. 

For Raynor, he will be seeking to take another step forward as a player, and there is reason to believe that he can have his best season yet with Iowa State in 2026. The talented quarterback is someone who has improved every year as a starter, and his senior year could be a special one. 

In 2025, he totaled 3,361 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, and a 66.7 completion percentage. Furthermore, as a talented dual-threat option, he also totaled 423 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. 

The comparison of his presence to Hurts is great to see and is a great indication of the player that he can be for the Cyclones. Replacing Rocco Becht won’t be easy, but Raynor could be up for the task.