Iowa State Cyclones Recruiting Class Showing Promise in This Key Area

How is the 2026 recruiting class shaping up for the Iowa State Cyclones?

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

With the 2025 college football regular season coming to a close soon, the Iowa State Cyclones have had a bit of an up-and-down year. 

To start the campaign, the Cyclones were red hot with five wins right off the bat. This appeared to be the team to beat in the Big 12 conference early on, but ultimately, some injuries and ineffective play derailed their year. 

There are certainly some games that they would like to have back, but the team is now 7-4 and will be hopeful to secure their eighth win against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Following that likely win, the team will be waiting to find out which bowl game they will be going to. With eight wins in a major conference, they should secure a good game, and it will be interesting to see where they land. 

While the campaign is winding down for the team, it is also coming to a close for recruiting season. Recently, the Cyclones were able to flip a couple of recruits late in the process, and the class is turning into a solid one for the program. Iowa State has never been a major recruiting powerhouse, but they are taking some steps in a positive direction. 

Craig Haubert of ESPN recently wrote about the top recruiting classes for 2026 and had the Cyclones get into his Top 65 at 63rd. 

Recruiting Class Has Depth

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While Iowa State might not have a single player in the SC Next 300, they have a plethora of three-star talent that is going to help sustain the level of success that the team has been building. The Cyclones are all about developing young talent throughout the years that they are with the school, and that has resulted in them becoming a strong program in recent years. 

With a couple of the power teams leaving the Big 12, Iowa State has found their way into the upper echelon of the conference. It takes time to grow a successful program, and Matt Campbell has done an excellent job in doing so. 

Even though there were some early rumblings about Campbell’s status when a lot of jobs became available, those rumors cooled off quickly, and he continues to appear to be a stable presence for the program. When it comes to recruiting and pitching athletes to join the team, that is a major selling point, and he has created a strong environment.