Iowa State New Football Coaching Staff Going All In for Class of 2027 Recruit

The Iowa State Cyclones football coaches are doing everything they can to resecure a commitment a person

Jimmy Rogers speaks during his introductory press conference as Iowa State’s new head football coach on Dec. 8, 2025, at Iowa State University in Ames, IA. | Cody Scanlan/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

New Iowa State Cyclones head football coach Jimmy Rogers has been very busy since accepting the position with the team.

He has his work cut out for him, replacing the winningest coach in program history, Matt Campbell. With most of the coaching staff following him to the Penn State Nittany Lions and more than 50 players hitting the transfer portal, a lot of attention has been put on getting Iowa State in as good a position as possible for 2026.

With things settled on that front in terms of the coaching staff and Class of 2026, attention is turning to the future for the Cyclones. Rogers and his staff have begun talking to players in the Class of 2027, and one player is garnering a lot of their attention: offensive lineman Will Slagle.

The name is familiar to Iowa State fans because he already committed to the program once. During a tailgate this fall, he announced that he would be joining the Cyclones football team.

Iowa State going all in for Will Slagle

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

However, things changed when Campbell accepted the head coaching job with Penn State. A few days after that announcement, Slagle decommitted from Iowa State and reopened his recruitment.

A Top247 player in the 247Sports rankings for the Class of 2027, he is a sought-after recruit.

Securing his commitment will not be easy for Rogers. He is drawing a lot of attention already, namely from the Nittany Lions and Iowa Hawkeyes.

However, the new head coach is doing what he can to get Slagle back with the program, even making a visit to the talented offensive lineman along with runnings back coach John Johnson.

"The visit went well," Slagle said, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert (subscription required). "We talked for a while."

These kinds of visits are imperative for Rogers to make, not only to get recruits who previously committed to the school back on board, but to secure commitments from other players who may not have previously considered the Cyclones.

Iowa State looking to set up future visit with Slage

Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers speaks during a timeout in the Cy-Hawk men's basketball game on Dec. 11, 2025, at Hilton Coliseum in Ames. | Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"I really appreciate them visiting me," Slagle said of the new Iowa State staff. "Especially since it was such a hard choice to decommit following the departure of the whole offensive staff."

The Cyclones could be behind the eight-ball a little bit. They aren’t expected to host Slagle for a visit this winter, while Penn State and Iowa both are.

However, they do plan on having him in Ames in the near future. Once spring practices begin, the plan is to have him come watch, which is something he is excited about.

"I'll have to get back to a practice in order to make a decision," Slagle said. "You can tell so much about a coach by just watching a practice."

That could certainly be where Rogers makes a lasting impression. Iowa State will potentially be the first team he sees practice, and if things go well, it could help turn the tide in their direction to secure a commitment from him.