Iowa State Cyclones Commit Lands on Rivals300 With Newly Minted 4-Star Rating

The Iowa State Cyclones have secured a commitment from one player in the Rivals300.

Jan 2, 2021; Glendale, AZ, USA; Detailed view of an Iowa State Cyclones helmet during the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Since taking over as head coach for the Iowa State Cyclones football team, Jimmy Rogers has been working double time when it comes to the roster.

Iowa State suffered a ton of losses when the coaching change was announced, with 55 players entering the transfer portal. What was a 22-player Class of 2026 on Signing Day dwindled down to six of those original commits.

A large chunk of the departures followed Matt Campbell to the Penn State Nittany Lions, leaving Rogers and his staff in a tough spot. However, they have done a great job flipping former Washington State Cougars players from the 2025 roster and members of the Class of 2026.

Nearly 50 players have committed to the program in the transfer portal, and 19 players have been added to the Class of 2026. The highest-ranked player coming to Ames is linebacker Bradley Esser.

Bradley Esser moves up Rivals300 becoming 4-star recruit

Jul 12, 2023; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of the Iowa State Cyclones helmet and logo during Big 12 football media day at AT&T Stadium. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The former Washington State signee flipped his commitment to Iowa State, following Rogers and defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit. They are certainly thrilled about that development because of how highly regarded the linebacker is.

In the final Rivals300 rankings, Esser just cracked the list as the last player listed. He is now a four-star player with a 91 rating, per Rivals. That places him as the No. 23-ranked linebacker nationally and the No. 2 player in the state of South Dakota.

“I’m beyond blessed and truly grateful for the opportunity,” said Esser after committing to the Cyclone, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required). “It feels like the right place with the right people, and I can’t wait to get to work and play under Rogers and (new defensive coordinator Jesse) Bobbit.”

Listed at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, the Harrisburg High School product was very productive during his senior season. A captain for his team, he recorded 68 tackles, seven tackles for loss and forced three fumbles while helping Harrisburg to the state playoffs.

Esser will have a chance to earn a role right out of the gate with Iowa State. Rogers has shown a willingness to let youngsters get on the field early and often if they prove they can help the team win games.

It is exactly what he did with another freshman linebacker, Sullivan Schlimgen, during the 2025 season. He appeared in all 13 games for the Cougars, eventually forcing his way into the starting lineup as an impact performer.

Schlimgen is one of the players who followed Rogers and Bobbit to Iowa State, and Esser will be competing for playing time behind him as a reserve. Carson Willich and Beau Goodwin are the only holdovers from the 2025 roster at linebacker.