Matt Campbell Compares New Iowa State Cyclones Recruit to Jaylin Noel

A new recruit for the Iowa State Cyclones recently received some high praise.

Nov 8, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell looks on during the first half against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have wrapped up their 2026 recruiting class, and things are looking good for the program on that front as of now.

It was a strong end to the regular season for the Cyclones, who wrapped up the regular season on a three-game winning streak. It was a challenging period in the middle of the year for Iowa State, who really struggled and lost four straight games. 

This was a team that had a realistic chance of playing for the Big 12 title this campaign after a 5-0 start. Unfortunately, their struggles in the middle of the year included a couple of bad losses that the team likely wishes it had back. 

While the team might not have been able to achieve everything that they wanted to, an 8-4 record is still a very strong year. Following the solid campaign, the recruiting class for the program looked very strong on signing day. They were able to have 22 players commit, with 21 of them being three-star players and one four-star prospect. 

The top recruit for the class was wide receiver Jeffrey Roberts, who is a local talent. The young wide receiver recently received some high praise from head coach Matt Campbell, who compared him to Jaylin Noel. 

"This guy honestly reminds me of Jaylin Noel, had some very similar traits of what Jaylin was about," Campbell said to Eugene Rapay of the Des Moines Register. 

High Praise for Young Recruit

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This is certainly some high praise for Roberts, who is coming in as the top-rated recruit by the program. Being compared to Noel is some good company to be in, with the former Cyclones star now playing on Sundays for the Houston Texans. 

With Iowa State, Noel was able to total 2,851 receiving yards and 18 receiving touchdowns in four seasons with the program. The talented wide-out made an impact for the team right away as a freshman in 2021, and the Cyclones would love to see Roberts follow in those footsteps. 

As a freshman, Noel was really impressive, totaling 38 receptions and 286 receiving yards. He continued to just keep getting better and better throughout his four campaigns with the program, and they will be seeking to do the same with Roberts. 

The wide receiver group wasn’t overly strong in 2025, and the possibility of getting some playing time in 2026 could be there for Roberts. Hopefully, the comparison by Campbell ends up being true.