Why Iowa State Football Should Be Concerned About Performance of Jaylen Raynor

Here's why the Iowa State Cyclones should be worried about the performance of Jaylen Raynor.

Oct 9, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) throws the ball during the second half against the BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In what ended up being a defensive battle in their Week 5 matchup, the Iowa State Cyclones suffered a loss to the BYU Cougars by a score of 24-10. 

As expected against the eighth-ranked team in the country on the road, this was not an easy game for Iowa State. However, the Cyclones once again were able to hang around and keep this game within striking distance for a while. 

Ultimately, Iowa State did end up losing, with BYU slowly being too much for them to handle. Coming off a 45-point performance against the West Virginia Mountaineers, there was certainly hope that the Cyclones’ offense might have turned a corner. 

Running back Aiden Flora was fantastic in Week 5, but nothing really got going for the Iowa State offense in the loss. While Flora didn’t have a poor game, totaling 86 rushing yards on 17 carries, the passing game was a non-factor for most of the night for the Cyclones. 

In what has become a bit of a trend for the team so far, the passing offense simply isn’t getting the job done for the team, and quarterback Jaylen Raynor is at the center of it. 

Raynor’s Performance is a Concern 

Oct 9, 2026; Provo, Utah, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) runs the ball during the first half against the BYU Cougars at LaVell Edwards Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Baker-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the loss to the Cougars, Raynor had arguably his worst game of the season. While he didn’t turn the ball over, he went 16-for-29 passing and totaled just 98 passing yards. 

Even though the identity of the Cyclones is to run the ball and play good defense, they need more from the passing attack. Overall, this season, Raynor has totaled 1,001 passing yards, a 57.4% completion percentage, and seven touchdown passes. Considering he has already played in six games now for the team, the numbers don’t jump off the page. 

When the Cyclones brought Raynor in, he came from Arkansas State with a plethora of experience and seemed fit for the job. However, there have to be some growing concerns with his play so far. 

With six games now in the books for Iowa State, a 3-3 record is solid based on what their preseason expectations were. However, the play of the quarterback position isn’t helping them win games at this point, and the conversation about giving one of the other options a chance has to be considered at this point. 

Iowa State can certainly make a bowl game this year, which would be a remarkable accomplishment after the brutal offseason. However, they will need their quarterback to be better in order to do so.