Iowa State Cyclones' Star Offensive Lineman Commits to Nebraska Cornhuskers

The Iowa State Cyclones have lost a star offensive lineman to the Nebraska Cornhuskers

Oct 6, 2018; Madison, WI, USA; A Nebraska Cornhuskers helmet sits on the sidelines during the game against the Wisconsin Badgers at Camp Randall Stadium. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

With the transfer portal officially open, the Iowa State Cyclones are seeing their roster getting flipped upside down. 

Not long before the transfer portal opened, the Cyclones were well aware of the work that was going to be done to rebuild this roster. With the program’s long-time head coach, Matt Campbell, leaving, it came as no surprise to see some of his players elect to leave as well. 

So far, there have been a number of players who have already followed Campbell to Penn State, and the former Cyclones’ head coach is doing an excellent job. For Iowa State, Jimmy Rogers is working hard to replace nearly an entire roster and recruiting class, but the early results have been good. 

Rogers is building a strong, defensive-minded team, but has made some nice additions so far. Building through the portal is the only way he is going to be able to compete in 2026, and there is a lot of work that still needs to be done. 

Recently, another key player has committed to a new school, with the talented offensive lineman Brendan Black reportedly committing to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. 

Nebraska Gets Impact Addition

BREAKING: Iowa State transfer OL Brendan Black has committed to Nebraska, @PeteNakos and @Hayesfawcett3 report🌽https://t.co/kSYG7dYADj pic.twitter.com/beoYlHlxv8

— Transfer Portal (@TransferPortal) January 5, 2026

As one of the best offensive linemen in the transfer portal, the Cornhuskers getting a starter for their offensive line is an excellent move by the program. Having a strong offensive line is key to success in college football, and Black was regarded as one of the top transfers. 

As a multi-year starter for the Cyclones, he will be ready to take his game to the next level with Nebraska and help Matt Rhule continue to build his program. For Iowa State, retaining the talented offensive lineman would have been ideal for Rogers. Since the Cyclones will be attempting to be a strong defensive-minded team, running the football well and having a strong offensive line usually go hand-in-hand with that. 

So far, Rogers has been working hard to bring in some offensive linemen in the portal, and the results have been pretty good so far. Unfortunately, there are a lot of moving parts for the program, but the important thing is to accumulate talent right now. 

Realistically, the team isn’t going to bring in an offensive lineman of the same caliber as Black to replace him. This will be another spot that takes a step back for the team in 2026, and the Cyclones will need to continue to try to add as much depth as possible.