The Iowa State Football Player With the Most To Prove in Week 1

Who is the Iowa State Football player with the most to prove for the program in Week 1?

Nov 8, 2025; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; The Iowa State Cyclones mascot poses for a photo during the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With Week 1 officially here, the Iowa State Cyclones are getting set to enter a new era for the program. In their first game of the year, the expectation will be to start out on a positive note. 

Coming off a wild offseason, the Cyclones are going to be a fascinating team this year. Expectations for the team are very much mixed this year, and there are a couple of different scenarios for either how good or bad the team might be. 

With Matt Campbell gone, it is Jimmy Rogers looking to lead the program into a new era. The young head coach has had success, but this is a big step up for him as well. 

Due to most of the team leaving, it was through the transfer portal that Rogers and the coaching staff had to rebuild. They added a lot of new faces, but one of the most important is going to be quarterback Jaylen Raynor. As the new face of the offense, the senior is going to have a lot to prove in Week 1 

Raynor Has Most to Prove

Quarterback Jaylen Raynor stands for a photo during Iowa State Football media day at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames, Wednesday, August 19, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

As arguably the biggest addition in the transfer portal for the Cyclones, Raynor will have a lot to prove. On the offensive side of the ball, it always comes down to the quarterback position, and Raynor has big shoes to fill. 

Rocco Becht was a really good quarterback for this program for the last several years, and transitioning to Raynor will be a strange one. However, there is reason to believe that the senior quarterback will be able to perform well and could bring an interesting dynamic to the team. 

While Becht was a very capable runner, Raynor is better in that area, and using him on the ground will certainly be in the cards for the Iowa State offense. 

If the Cyclones are going to be a competitive team, it will likely come down to just how good Raynor can be. He has experience playing against Power Four competition, but this will be a step up in class on a weekly basis from his time with the Arkansas State Red Wolves. 

Overall, as the quarterback and one of the leaders of the team, it will be important for Raynor to get off to a good start to his career with the Cyclones. Week 1 is going to be one of the more winnable games for the team, and they will need him to be sharp.