Iowa State Cyclones Predicted to Land Dual-Threat Quarterback in Transfer Portal

The Iowa State Cyclones were recently predicted to land a talented quarterback in the portal.

Nov 8, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; The Iowa State Cyclones mascot poses for a photo during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the transfer portal now open, the Iowa State Cyclones will be seeing a plethora of moves in the coming weeks. 

Due to most of their established players announcing their intent to enter the portal, the Cyclones were aware that there was going to be a lot of work to be done. With Matt Campbell landing a good job with the Penn State Nittany Lions, there will undoubtedly be a lot of players who follow him there. 

One of the most significant players that their team lost was three-year starting quarterback Rocco Becht. Even though he might not have had the junior season that he would have liked due to playing through some injuries, he is one of the best quarterbacks in the portal. 

His decision to leave the program has left a massive void in the quarterback room, and it also didn’t help that Alex Manske also announced his intent to leave. Now, the Cyclones know that they will have to find some help at the position, and there could be an appealing target in mind. 

Matt Zentiz and Chris Hummer recently predicted that the Cyclones would be fixing their quarterback issues with transfer Jaylen Raynor from the Arkansas State Red Wolves.

.@chris_hummer and I have placed Crystal Ball predictions in favor of Iowa State with Arkansas State QB transfer Jaylen Raynor.

Was a three-year starter at Arkansas State who accounted for totals this year of 3,361 passing yards, 423 rushing yards and 26 total touchdowns. https://t.co/cYNJ4n0VJh pic.twitter.com/Zby6jj1SVj

— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) January 3, 2026

Iowa State Familiar with Raynor

With the Cyclones being predicted to land Raynor in the transfer portal, they would be getting a quarterback that they have actually faced the last two years. As a talented dual-threat player, Raynor could help replace the production of Becht, but it would likely come in a slightly different way. 

In 2025, he totaled 3,361 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, 423 rushing yards, and seven rushing touchdowns. The talented quarterback was able to be both a good passer and runner last year, and there was some noticeable improvement for him in the passing game. 

With his completion percentage going up five percent, Raynor is continuing to improve as a quarterback, and he could be a strong option for Iowa State. Jimmy Rogers and the coaching staff will undoubtedly be exploring all of the potential options at the position, but they must find a suitable replacement.

Even though Raynor might not be coming from a major college, he has faced some stiff competition with the Red Wolves and has been able to hold his own against the Cyclones when they have faced off. With the portal now open, it will be interesting to see if Iowa State ends up landing the talented dual-threat quarterback.