Midseason Grade for Iowa State Cyclones' Wide Receiver Corps

How have the wide receivers for the Iowa State Cyclones done so far this year?

Oct 4, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Iowa State Cyclones wide receiver Chase Sowell (0) makes a catch against Cincinnati Bearcats cornerback Logan Wilson (7) in the second half at Nippert Stadium. | Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have hit the midway point of the season and have had some ups and downs this year. To start the campaign, the Cyclones were 5-0 and things were going extremely well. Unfortunately, they have hit a rough spot as of late. 

Heading into their second bye week of the campaign, they are now 5-2 and have seen their chances of making a Big 12 title game dramatically decrease in the last two weeks. Even though things are looking tough right now, there are still plenty of games to be played, and this is a team that has had some bright spots. 

On both sides of the ball, with five wins, there have been some big plays and some key contributors. Coming into the year, the identity of the Cyclones figured to be a team that was looking to run the football and play good defense. That has been the case at times, but their passing offense has also come along nicely with Rocco Becht having a good year. 

The junior quarterback does a nice job of spreading it around this year, and on an individual level, he has played very well. With a somewhat balanced attack in the passing game, there isn’t really a standout player coming from the wide receiver corps, but they have some good performers. Here is the midseason grade for the group. 

Midseason Grade: C+

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

This was a unit that saw a lot of change compared to last season with a couple of players going to the next level and some transfers coming in to replace that production. The passing offense overall has undoubtedly taken a little bit of a step back, but the wide receiver corps has had some good moments. 

Currently, the team's leading receiver is sophomore Brett Eskildsen. The talented young wide-out has totaled 20 receptions, 334 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns. Furthermore, transfer Chase Sowell has also been coming on a bit of late with a couple of strong games. He has totaled 15 receptions, 261 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. 

Rounding out the trio for Iowa State is Xavier Townsend. Another transfer has got off to a bit of a slow start but has flashed some potential. While the team didn’t figure to be a massive passing attack in 2025, this group has done well enough to help. There is certainly some room for improvement, but they have been solid.