Washington State Cougars Linebacker Would Be Great Addition for Iowa State Cyclones

Which players from the Washington State Cougars would be a good addition for the Iowa State Cyclones?

Oct 25, 2025; Pullman, Washington, USA; Washington State Cougars helmet sits during a game against the Toledo Rockets at Gesa Field at Martin Stadium. | James Snook-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones are getting ready for the transfer portal to open in the coming days, and things will undoubtedly be wild. 

Due to the loss of their head coach, Matt Campbell, the Cyclones always knew that they were going to be seeing a lot of roster turnover. While it might be more surprising that they have lost as many players as they have, that is the nature of the beast in college football now. 

Iowa State is going to have a completely different roster, and new head coach Jimmy Rogers will have his work cut out for him. Building a team through the transfer portal is no easy task, but the young head coach did a nice job of it in his first year with the Washington State Cougars. Now, he will be having to do the same for the Cyclones, where he hopes to build upon the success that Campbell started. 

As the transfer portal is set to open soon, some of his former players from the Cougars are making their intentions known to enter. One player whom Rogers will undoubtedly be targeting to bring over is freshman linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen, who was a standout player in 2025. 

Freshman Linebacker Would Be a Great Addition for Cyclones

Washington State starting true freshman LB Sullivan Schlimgen (@SullivanSchlim1) plans to enter the portal, his agency @csgathletes tells @247Sports.

The 6-foot-1, 220-pound LB posted 49 tackles and 1.5 TFLs this season. https://t.co/BdjsPXtzqM pic.twitter.com/I339I0OmMc

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) December 29, 2025

Due to the team suffering so many losses in terms of their roster, adding players in the portal is going to be a necessity for Iowa State. The portal will officially be opening in a few days, but players are making their decisions about whether or not to enter. 

With Schlimgen reportedly planning on heading into the portal, he would be an excellent addition for the Cyclones. As a true freshman, it is not easy to be a starting player at any position, and he was able to do that with the Cougars. 

Since both his head coach and defensive coordinator have gone to Iowa State, it makes sense that they will be a front-runner to land him. Washington State had an excellent defense with Rogers and Bobbit, and bringing over some of their starters in the portal will be key to that continuing. 

Rogers and his coaching staff are starting to make some positive moves for the team and to replenish some of the talent that they will be losing. Hopefully, that trend will continue in the coming days and weeks so the Cyclones can remain a competitive program.