Star Defender for Iowa State Cyclones Rightfully Named as Midseason All-American

Which player from the Iowa State Cyclones was recently named a midseason All-American?

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have reached the midway point of their season, and there have been some ups and downs so far. With the team on their bye in Week 8, they currently sit with a 5-2 record and a 2-2 record in the Big 12 conference. 

To start the year, there was a ton of optimism surrounding the program. They were able to start off the campaign with a win against the Kansas State Wildcats in Ireland, which was a signature win against a Top 25 team at the time. 

Following that impressive win was a victory over South Dakota, leading up to the Cy-Hawk game against the Iowa Hawkeyes. As expected, it was a low-scoring physical matchup, but the Cyclones came away with the win. With victories against the Arkansas State Red Wolves and the Arizona Wildcats, Iowa State found themselves at 5-0. 

Unfortunately, a couple of back-to-back losses has changed the narrative for the season and at the midway point there are a lot of question marks. However, despite some struggles of late, they have had some players perform well at the midseason mark. 

The Athletic (subscription required) recently wrote their midseason All-American team. This list highlights the best of the best from around the country, and Iowa State was fortunate to have their star defender Domonique Orange make the second team. 

Orange is a Bright Spot Defensively

Reese Strickland-Imagn Images

Coming into the year one of the top players for the Cyclones was their star defensive tackle. Orange has been a force for Iowa State in the middle of the defense and is a significant reason why the unit has had some success. 

Unfortunately, injuries have really piled up in the secondary for the program and that has impacted the unit as a whole in recent weeks. Shockingly, in one of the games against the Cincinnati Bearcats, the rushing defense led by Orange really struggled as well. 

⭐️Midseason All-American Team⭐️@OrangeDomonique | @TheAthletic pic.twitter.com/EM0jO4yqeD

— Iowa State Football (@CycloneFB) October 16, 2025

However, even though the talented lineman doesn’t put up a ton of stats in terms of rushing the passer, he is a disturbing force in the middle. Orange is frequently subjected to double teams in the middle, which makes things easier for his teammates. That rarely shows up on a box score, but he is clearly an impact player when watching a game. 

Due to his success, Orange has been seen in the first round of some upcoming mock drafts. If he continues his strong year, his stock should only continue to rise heading to the next level.