Iowa State Football Set To Host San Diego State Target for Visit

The Iowa State Cyclones, slowly but surely, have begun shifting their focus to the future of the program.

Now that first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers has his 2026 roster set and spring practice is underway, the team is looking to sell the program on as many high school players as possible to become part of the future at Iowa State.

One of the players whom the Cyclones will be attempting to woo in the coming days is Class of 2028 ATH, Pierre Ray Jr. A two-way player at H L Richards High School in Robbins, Illinois, he revealed on his X account that he will be visiting Ames on April 16.

Listed at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, he plays free safety and wide receiver for the football team. He has already received an offer from the San Diego State Aztecs, who look to be the main competition for Iowa State in the early going.

Iowa State hosting Pierre Ray Jr. for visit to Ames

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

His campus visit will be a great opportunity for Rogers and the coaching staff to show him how things will be run at the football program under their watch and showcase how he may fit into their long-term plans.

Whether it is as a pass catcher on offense or a ball-hawking safety on defense, the Cyclones are going to be ready to sell Pierre on what his future could look like in Ames should he commit to the program down the road.

While he has received only one scholarship offer to this point, interest has been shown in him by several Power Conference programs. Beyond San Diego State and Iowa State, Rivals lists the Iowa Hawkeyes, Indiana Hoosiers, Illinois Fighting Illini and Purdue Boilermakers as interested teams.

I will be at iowa state this Thursday im very excited to touch down in ames and meet the coaching staff ❤️💛@CycloneFB @Phouly31 @HLR_FOOTBALL @EDGYTIM @CoachShen pic.twitter.com/0yk9fv7ZSJ
— Pierre Ray jr (@Rayjr2Ray) April 13, 2026

As he prepares for his junior season with H L Richards, Ray is going to be someone worth keeping a close eye on. He doesn’t currently have a ranking at the recruiting outlets, but that could change quickly if he continues trending in the right direction.

Looking ahead, based on the current Cyclones roster, they certainly need some long-term options at wide receiver. There are no redshirt freshmen on the 2026 roster and only three incoming freshmen for the year.

On the defensive side of the ball, they are in much better shape in the secondary long-term. There are three safeties in the Class of 2026, joining two redshirt freshmen also on the roster. The pipeline is well stocked beyond the three senior safeties currently in the mix, but that includes Braden Awls, who suffered an ACL tear in practice recently.

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