Iowa State Cyclones Football Makes Offer to Top 50 Recruit in Class of 2027

A top ranked player in the Class of 2027 has received an offer from the Iowa State Cyclones.

Nov 9, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Iowa State Cyclones helmets on the bench during the first quarter against the Kansas Jayhawks at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

New Iowa State Cyclones head football coach Jimmy Rogers knew there would be a lot of work to do when he accepted the job as the successor to Matt Campbell, the winningest coach in program history, who moved on to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

More than 50 players entered the transfer portal as a result of the coaching change, with 16 of them being starters. The Class of 2026 was also diminished, with a significant number of players opting to follow Campbell to Penn State.

Iowa State benefitted similarly with players following Rogers from the Washington State Cougars to the Cyclones. The talent on the roster has been restocked, but the job is never done, ensuring the long-term outlook of the program.

While a lot of the focus has been on the team for 2026, with so many new faces coming to the team, Rogers and his staff have already gotten to work on the Class of 2027.

Iowa State makes offer to star running back Landen Williams-Callis

South Oak Cliff's Jamarion Phillips tackles Richmond Randle's Landen Williams-Callis during the Class 5A, Division II State Championship game on Friday, Dec. 20, 2024, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. | Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two players who were part of that class when Campbell was the head coach, offensive lineman Will Slagle and wide receiver Landon Blum, were re-offered by the new coaching staff. Both of them were four-star players.

Now, another highly-ranked member of the Class of 2027 has been offered by the Cyclones. As shared by running back Landen Williams-Callis on X, Iowa State has been fortunate enough to receive an offer from Iowa State.

New Cyclone RBs coach John Johnson offers No. 33 overall prospect in the 2027 class Landen Williams-Callis.

Profile: https://t.co/9Xp2qf0HQl https://t.co/zohuqVdbIj

— Alec Busse (@alec_busse) January 25, 2026

Competition for him on the recruiting trail is intense. The Cyclones are the 61st school to make him an offer, with schools at every level of college football showing interest in him.

That comes as little surprise, since he is one of the highest-rated players in the class. Williams-Callis is a four-star recruit with a 93 ranking per 247Sports, ranked No. 33 overall as the No. 3 running back and No. 6 player in Texas.

On the 247Sports Composite, he is ranked even higher. There, the talented running back is a five-star player with a 98.4 rating as the No. 3 player at his position and No. 7 player in the state of Texas from Randle High School in Richmond.

Invited to the Polynesian Bowl, he earned a spot on the roster with some eye-popping statistics during the 2025 season. He had the kind of numbers normally seen only in a video game, rushing 324 times for 3,502 yards and 59 touchdowns.

24 receptions for 266 yards and one touchdown were recorded as a pass catcher.

Securing a commitment from Williams-Callis would be a huge boost to the program in the Rogers era. Running back is one position where they are lacking much established talent after this offseason cycle.