Talented Running Back Announces Intent to Stay With Iowa State Cyclones

A talented running back for the Iowa State Cyclones will be staying with the program.

Oct 23, 2021; Ames, Iowa, USA; General view of helmet used by Iowa State Cyclones against the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the first half at Jack Trice Stadium. | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

With the transfer portal set to open up soon, things are going to get wild in the coming days and weeks for the Iowa State Cyclones. However, they were recently able to keep a talented young player. 

There has been no shortage of news for the cyclones since the departure of head coach Matt Campbell. As expected, there has been a ton of turnover, and that is still ongoing. With the transfer portal set to open up soon, players will be officially leaving the program after many have announced their intent to do so recently. 

While head coach Jimmy Rogers was hopeful to retain some talent, it hasn’t been easy. With Campbell and his coaching staff being so highly regarded, many of the players who have entered the portal will likely be following him if the opportunity presents itself. 

Rogers knew coming in that he was going to have to work the portal well to rebuild the program quickly, and that would have to be the plan. However, as the team has lost a lot of talent, they recently had one player announce that he was staying. Former three-star running back Jayden Jackson announced that he will be staying with the program. 

Cyclones Finally Keep an Offensive Talent

#AGTG Leave 2025 as a cyclone. Coming into 2026 as a CYCLONE @CycloneFB @ISURogers3 pic.twitter.com/sX9KHfygGH

— Jayden Jackson (@jaydennnn24) January 1, 2026

There has not been a lot of good news when it comes to keeping talent for the Cyclones, but Jackson staying with the program is one of them. He was a three-star recruit out of Texas and now could be seeing an increased role for the program. 

With both Abu Sama III and Carson Hansen announcing that they will be entering the portal, the running back room has taken a massive hit for Iowa State. Both of these players were key contributors to a team that had a strong rushing attack in 2025. 

Due to Rogers being a defensive-minded coach, running the football well will be something that the team likely tries to continue to do. Now, with Jackson electing to stay, he has quickly become one of the front-runners for the team to lead the way in the backfield. 

Once the portal opens, the Cyclones will undoubtedly have to address quite a number of offensive positions with the expected turnover on that side of the ball. Rogers is going to have his work cut out for him, but getting a talent like Jackson to stay is a nice win. Hopefully, the team can continue to build in the coming days and remain competitive in the Big 12.