Iowa State Cyclones Receive Massive Boost With Star Special Teams Player Staying

The Iowa State Cyclones finally received some good news about a player staying.

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the first half in the Iowa State and Iowa men’s basketball Cy-Hawk series at Hilton coliseum on Dec. 11, 2025, in Ames, Iowa. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There has been a lot of negative news of late for the Iowa State Cyclones, who are seeing a plethora of players intending to leave in the transfer portal. However, they recently received some good news from a key special teams player. 

It has been a tough stretch for the Cyclones of late. As expected, there has been a lot of turnover following Matt Campbell's taking the Penn State Nittany Lions job. He has been able to bring over most of his staff, and some recruits from the talented Iowa State class are going to be joining him as well. 

With the transfer portal set to open up just after the holidays, a lot of players from the Cyclones are starting to announce their intent to enter the portal and leave the program. This was always a significant fear for the team and new head coach Jimmy Rogers, but he was well-prepared for it to happen. 

In his first year with the Washington State Cougars, he was able to build a fairly successful team through the portal. Due to the program struggling to hold on to talent, that is likely to be what he has to do again early on.

While some key players have announced their intent to leave, one recently announced that he will be staying. On special teams, star kicker Kyle Konrardy will be staying with the Cyclones, and that is excellent news. 

Konrardy Staying a Massive Boost

Merry Christmas, Cyclone Nation! Thank you @ISURogers3 @CycloneFB @CoachRobGrande @Coach_Roehl

Loyal Sons Forever True❤️🌪️ pic.twitter.com/CRX7QFmKno

— Kyle Konrardy (@konrardy_kyle) December 24, 2025

While the team would have liked to have Rocco Becht, Carson Hansen, and Benjamin Brahmer stay, Konrardy surprisingly played an essential role on the team. Special teams can sometimes be overlooked, but the star kicker was an impact player for Iowa State in 2025. 

Last season, he went 14-for-18, kicking the ball, including a massive 63-yard kick. Overall, he was automatic from inside 40 yards, with a perfect percentage. Furthermore, he was also three-for-four from 50 yards or more. 

When the star kicker was out, it really had a negative impact on the team. Coach Campbell struggled with some decision-making at times about whether to try and kick or go for it in plus territory without the reliable Konrardy to use. 

With a couple more years of eligibility, this is a significant player for the Cyclones to be able to keep. Konrardy has proven that he can be a weapon for Iowa State, and Rogers will be happy to have him stay.