Iowa State Football Makes Great Impression on Class of 2027 OL During Visit

With spring practices underway, the Iowa State Cyclones football coaching staff has been hard at work building relationships with recruits who are visiting campus.

A little bit behind when it comes to recruiting for the Class of 2027, head coach Jimmy Rogers is looking to make up for lost time. That is exactly what he did with offensive lineman Bryce Vigness, who recently got his first look around campus since the coaching change occurred.

Rogers made time to speak to Vigness and his family individually during his visit, helping build upon visits he made to Ames under the previous staff led by Matt Campbell.

“Me and my parents met with him, and he spent a ton of time with us just kind of going over like what it would look like if I did end up at Iowa State, kind of how like your first like year goes as a player and what all it entails,” the Nebraska native said, via Bill Seals of Cyclone Report (subscription required).

Iowa State makes great impression on Bryce Vigness

An Iowa State Cyclones football helmet is seen during a news conference for the Cheez-It Bowl, Tuesday, Dec. 28, 2021, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla. | Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen / USA TODAY NETWORK

A three-star prospect out of Papillion-La Vista in Papillion, Nebraska, Vigness is one of the top-rated players in the state. He is No. 4 at Rivals with an 88 rating and No. 7 at 247Sports, where he received an 87 rating.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 286 pounds, it is easy to see why he is such a sought-after commodity on the recruiting trail. Power Four offers have already come from the Pittsburgh Panthers and Kansas State Wildcats, in addition to Iowa State.

The Northern Illinois Huskies and South Dakota State Jackrabbits have also extended offers to Vigness. But the Cyclones could certainly be in the driver’s seat for him after such a successful visit to Ames.

“I loved everything about it,” the Papillion-La Vista product said. “The thing that stood out the most was the people. I love everything about the new staff, especially Coach (Jake) Thornton and Coach (Jimmy) Rogers, who spent a lot of time with me.”

Had an amazing visit at Iowa State yesterday! Loved everything about it!!
Can’t wait to be back for my OV!!!@CycloneFB @ISURogers3 @RickyCiccone @Coach_Roehl @CoachThornton61 @CoachCox65 @PapioLavistaFB @YoteQB16 @DanMcLa58054605 @AllenTrieu @GregSmithRivals pic.twitter.com/MQYo2bW29M
— Bryce Vigness (@BryceVigness) March 29, 2026

When Rogers took over as head coach, he made it clear that reinforcing the depth in the trenches was a top priority. With their entire starting group from 2025 not coming back in 2026, it was imperative to bring in some players with experience who can play right away.

However, sustaining success long-term, not just for one year, is the goal Rogers has. To achieve that, he needs to win on the recruiting front, which he is trying to do with players such as Vigness.

It is still early, but Rivals Predictions does give the Cyclones a massive edge over the competition. They are at 59.0% to land Vigness, with Kansas State being second at 13.8%.