Iowa State OL candidates Wade, Brent Helton headed into transfer portal

OL candidates Wade, Brent Helton to leave Iowa State, enter transfer portal

Ryan Clanton and Iowa State lost a pair of future offensive line candidates with Wade and Brent Helton announcing they plan to enter the transfer portal. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

When the transfer portal goes live for the spring cycle on Wednesday, Wade and Brent Helton will be in it. The Iowa State offensive linemen announced plans to enter the portal, according to Bill Seals of Rivals.

***FOOTBALL*** Per an #IowaState spokesperson, redshirt freshman offensive linemen Brent & Wade Helton have left the program. Big losses for future of the #Cyclones’ line, as both had been expected to compete for depth chart spots in 2025.

— Bill Seals (@williamseals) April 14, 2025

The loss of the two is a big blow to the future of the offensive line for the Cyclones, an area that has been a strength in recent years. Wade Helton is 6-foot-5 and 300 pounds, with twin brother Brent Helton checking in at 6-5 and 320 pounds.

They held offers from schools such as Arizona, Arizona State, oregon State, Minnesota and Utah coming out of high school in California. Wade Helton was a three-star by several recruiting services, taking a redshirt this past year.

Brent Helton was also a three-star recruit who picked the Cyclones over Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon State. 

“Thank you to our teammates, coaches and football state,” Wade Helton posted on social media. “We are grateful for our time at Iowa State.”

Thank you to our teammates, coaches and football staff - We are grateful for our time at Iowa State.

I will be entering the transfer portal and look forward to finding a new home. @QBCatalano

— Wade Helton (@Wade_Helton73) April 14, 2025

Brent Helton has not posted on social media but did retweet a story mentioning the two entering the transfer portal.