'It's a Dream Come True for Real' for Football Commit To Play for Iowa State Cyclones

A football recruit, who is an Ames native, is going to live out his life long dream next year suiting up for the Iowa State Cyclones.

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The Iowa State Cyclones are looking forward to the incoming freshman class for the football team. Even with recent decommits from wide receiver Milan Parris and defensive lineman Brysen Wessell, there is plenty of talent to get excited about.

However, there may not be a player who is as excited as wide receiver Jeremy Roberts about getting to play for the Cyclones. An Ames native, he will be returning home for the 2026 football season.

Ahead of his senior year of high school, Roberts decided to enroll at Dowling Catholic, a powerhouse program in Iowa. He has helped the team get off to a 6-1 start with 35 receptions for 634 yards and nine touchdowns.

There is a real chance that Dowling Catholic will be competing for a state title in one of the highest classes in the state. It has been great preparation for the talented pass catcher, but he cannot wait to return home.

Playing for Iowa State is dream come true for Jeremy Roberts

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Suiting up for the Cyclones is something Roberts has been dreaming about since childhood. In less than a year, he will get to live out that dream.

"It feels really good," Roberts said of his commitment to Iowa State, via Alec Busse of Cyclone Alert, part of the 247Sports Network (subscription required). "It's a dream come true for real. Just hope when I go there that I can be the best player and best man, I know Coach Campbell will help me with that."

Because his mother held him out of tackle football early on, Roberts didn’t play until eighth grade. But that didn’t stop him from having a lofty goal of playing for the Cyclones, which he has achieved.

Iowa State has full belief in his talents; it is why they recruited him. He has improved his game immensely with Dowling Catholic, which will only benefit him when he officially enrolls in school.

Jeremy Roberts wants to be next Iowa State NFL wide receiver

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In addition to living out his dream, another thing he was sold on was Campbell’s ability to develop players into NFL-caliber wide receivers. In the 2025 NFL Draft, Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel were both selected by the Houston Texans in the second and third rounds, respectively. Roberts feels there are similarities in his game to that of Noel, too.

Just a few years prior, Xavier Hutchinson was also selected by the Texans. Allen Lazard carved out an impressive NFL career for himself after going undrafted. Hakeem Butler, who transitioned to becoming a tight end, is also a former Cyclone.

Roberts sounds like he would have committed because of the hometown factor. But, having a track record of sending players at his position to the next level was certainly a nice incentive as well.