Why Passing Game Will Be a Strength for Iowa State Football

Will the passing game be a strength for the Iowa State Cyclones this year?

Jul 14, 2022; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet logo during the Big 12 Media Day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

With the college football season quickly approaching, the Iowa State Cyclones will be hoping to have a good season and make a bowl game. 

The Cyclones were undoubtedly a team that had one of the hardest offseasons. After the year came to a close, the Penn State Nittany Lions were able to land long-time Iowa State coach Matt Campbell to take over the program. 

As expected, when losing a coach who has been with the program for a decade, it sent shockwaves through the school. Fortunately, the team did make a quick decision and brought in the talented Jimmy Rogers. 

Rogers is coming over after just one season with the Washington State Cougars, but he has the potential to be a very good fit for the program. However, due to Campbell's leaving, so too did a lot of his players. 

With the Cyclones’ roster being decimated in the transfer portal, they had to bring in nearly an entirely new team. One of the most notable losses for the team was at the quarterback position with junior Rocco Becht following Campbell to Penn State. With a plethora of experience as a starter, Becht, going into his senior year, could be poised for special things. 

However, even though the team did lose their starting quarterback, among other key offensive players, the strength of the offense could be the passing attack in 2026. 

Passing Game Could Be a Strength

Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

While losing a player like Becht was a tough blow, Iowa State did bring in an interesting replacement in Jaylen Raynor. As a three-year starter with the Arkansas State Red Wolves, Raynor has a lot of experience under center and has played against some good opponents as well. 

Raynor is a talented dual-threat player, but has been improving as a passer, and coming into his senior year, he could be ready for his best campaign yet. While he’s got plenty of talent, there are also some good weapons around him as well at wide receiver. 

This is a group that is going to look very different, but there is talent. Coming in from the transfer portal will be Omari Haynes, Carter Pabst, Evan Boyd, and Cody Jackson. Furthermore, Dominic Overby is one of the few players returning to the program. 

With talent and depth at wide receiver and an experienced quarterback in Raynor, the passing attack for Iowa State could end up being a strength for the offense.