Iowa State Football's Biggest X-Factor Might Not Be Jaylen Raynor

With the college football season right around the corner for the Iowa State Cyclones, the team will be hoping to start up their new era on a positive note.

Now that Matt Campbell is starting his tenure with the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Cyclones will be led by Jimmy Rogers, who is set to make his coaching debut for Iowa State in just a couple of weeks.

The young head coach did not inherit a good situation with the Cyclones with most of the roster entering the transfer portal, but he and the coaching staff have worked hard to fill out the roster.

As fall camp continues on, there is no shortage of battles for starting spots and playing time. The hope will be that this competition will bring out the best in some of the players and the depth of the team will be a strength.

While there has been plenty of talk about quarterback Jaylen Raynor, he might not be the biggest x-factor for the team.

Cameron Pettaway Will Be X-Factor

Iowa State running back Cameron Pettaway (0) runs with the ball during the university’s football open practice at Johnny Majors practice field on August 8, 2026, in Ames, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

While Raynor will be key for the team as the starting quarterback, the Cyclones could still be a team that wants to control the clock and run the football on offense.

The talented dual-threat quarterback will be able to help with that as an excellent rusher in his own right, but production from the running back position will be key.

When looking at the roster for Iowa State, this was a group that lost two very good players in Carson Hansen and Abu Sama III to the transfer portal. Both of these running backs were really good for the Cyclones last year, and this year the battle for snaps seems to be open.

Of some of the players that came over in the transfer portal, one of the appealing additions was Pettaway. While Aidan Flora will also fight for snaps at the position, Pettaway could be the lead back for the team.

If that ends up being the case, he will be the x-factor. Rogers and the coaching staff are going to have a smash-mouth mentality and try to be in close games in the fourth quarter. Running the football effectively will be key for the team to accomplish that, and Pettaway can help with that.

While he is still a bit unproven after just one season with the Bowling Green Falcons, the potential is clearly there, with him averaging over five yards per carry last year as a freshman. Now, as he steps into the Big 12, he will have a lot to prove, but there is reason to believe he could be a very good player for the Cyclones.

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