Iowa State Cyclones Smartly Re-Offers Class of 2027 3-Star Offensive Lineman

An offensive lineman in the Class of 2027 has received an offer from the Iowa State Cyclones' new coaching staff.

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

The Iowa State Cyclones football team looks to finally have its roster set for the upcoming season this fall.

New head coach Jimmy Rogers and his staff were hard at work restocking the team after so many defections this offseason. Because Matt Campbell left for the Penn State Nittany Lions head coaching job, more than 50 players entered the transfer portal, and a 22-player Class of 2026 went down to only six.

With that heavy lifting now complete, focus can turn elsewhere, such as the Class of 2027. The Cyclones are a little behind their peers, given how much effort was put into the Class of 2026, but they are looking to make up for lost time.

Recently, they made another offer to a player in the Class of 2027: three-star offensive lineman Hunter Mallinger. He is a three-star recruit from Hamilton High School in Sussex, Wisconsin, measuring in at 6-foot-5 and 285 pounds.

Iowa State makes offer to Hunter Mallinger

Sussex Hamilton lineman Hunter Mallinger (77) protects his quarterback during the football game against Germantown, Sept. 19, 2025, in Germantown, Wisconsin. Hamilton won the game, 23-21. | Scott Ash / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

According to 247Sports, he is currently the No. 41-ranked interior offensive lineman in his class and the No. 7-ranked player in the state of Wisconsin, with an 87 rating. Their composite has him slightly higher with a rating of 88.87, ranked No. 411 nationally, No. 26 among players at his position and No. 5 in the state.

He has received 15 offers thus far, with a lot of interest coming from Power Four programs. The Sacramento State Hornets and the Washington State Cougars are the only teams that aren’t currently in a power conference that offered him.

The Oklahoma State Cowboys and UCF Knights are the other Big 12 schools that have made an offer to Mallinger.

Rogers and his staff, specifically offensive line coach Jake Thornton, must think highly of the three-star recruit that they have offered him again while at Ames after doing the same at Pullman.

After a great conversation with @CoachThornton61 I’m blessed to be re-offered by @CycloneFB! @AllenTrieu @adamgorney @GregSmithRivals @GregBiggins @TomLoy247 @BrandonHuffman @HHSCoachGumm @Mr_Nellis pic.twitter.com/ahzHcFgRUD

— Hunter Mallinger (@HunterMallinger) February 11, 2026

It will be interesting to see how they navigate recruiting him, given how much interest is already being shown in him. Even more offers should continue to roll in as he heads into his senior year of high school at Hamilton.

The offensive line has been a point of emphasis in the early going for the new regime. It made a lot of sense to focus efforts there early because of how many players left the program.

Every starter from 2025 isn’t returning. Left tackle James Neal III, right tackle Trevor Miller, center Jim Bonifas and guard Dylan Barrett all exhausted eligibility and will be trying to play at the next level.

Three-year starter Brendan Black transferred to the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Trevor Buhr, another key player along the offensive line, transferred to the Nittany Lions, following Campbell.