Honestly, if you took a nap during the last few months of 2025, you might wake up and barely recognize the roster at Jack Trice Stadium. Things moved fast. One minute, Iowa State was wrapping up a gritty 20-13 win over Oklahoma State to close out November, and the next, the coaching staff was basically a revolving door.
Every iowa state cyclones football game carries a certain weight in the Midwest, but the 2025 season felt like the end of a very specific era. Matt Campbell, the man who basically rebuilt the program from the studs, is gone. He’s at Penn State now. It happened fast—early December—and it sent shockwaves through the fan base that usually only feels that level of stress during the fourth quarter of a Cy-Hawk game.
The Rollercoaster That Was the 2025 Season
The 2025 schedule was a wild ride from the jump. You’ve got to remember how it started: in Dublin, Ireland. Taking the Cyclones across the Atlantic to beat No. 17 Kansas State 24-21 was a statement. It felt like this team was destined for a massive playoff run. And for a while, it looked that way. They started 5-0. They beat the Hawkeyes 16-13 in a game that was exactly as ugly and beautiful as every Iowa fan expected.
Then the wheels sorta wobbled.
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October was rough. Losing four straight to Cincinnati, Colorado, BYU, and Arizona State? That wasn't in the script. The BYU loss (41-27) was particularly stinging because it happened at home during Homecoming. But that’s the Big 12 for you. It's a meat grinder. The Cyclones eventually found their footing again, finishing the regular season with three straight wins to end up 8-4.
Key Wins and Gut Punches
- The Cy-Hawk Victory: 16-13 over Iowa. A classic defensive struggle where every yard felt like a mile.
- The Kansas Blowout: A 38-14 win in late November that reminded everyone what this offense could do when Rocco Becht was clicking.
- The Stillwater Finale: Closing the season with a 20-13 win at Oklahoma State.
Jimmy Rogers and the New Look Cyclones
With Campbell heading to Happy Valley, Iowa State didn't look far for a replacement. Enter Jimmy Rogers. He’s not a name every casual fan knew immediately, but he brought a massive pedigree from South Dakota State. If you follow FCS ball, you know Rogers is a winner. But man, he walked into a literal storm.
Since he took over, more than 50 players entered the transfer portal. Fifty. That’s not just a few backups looking for playing time; it was 16 starters. When people talk about a "rebuild," this is the dictionary definition. Rogers has been frantically replenishing the cupboard. He’s pulling guys from the portal like Jaylen Raynor, the quarterback from Arkansas State who threw for over 3,300 yards last year.
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It’s a bold move. Raynor is coming in for his final year of eligibility, and his offensive coordinator from Arkansas State, Keith Heckendorf, is now the QB coach in Ames. It’s a "plug and play" strategy that Rogers hopes will keep the team competitive while he stabilizes the recruiting classes that Campbell’s departure disrupted.
What to Expect at the Next Iowa State Cyclones Football Game
If you're heading to Ames in 2026, don't expect the same slow-burn, ball-control offense we saw for years. Rogers is bringing a different energy. He's already flipped key special teams players like punter Ethan Gurney from Washington State. He's aggressive. He’s building a staff with guys from Washington State, Auburn, and Purdue.
The atmosphere at Jack Trice isn't going to change, though. The "Loyal Sons" will still be there, and the "Juicy Wiggle" isn't going anywhere. But the product on the field? It’s going to be younger, faster, and probably a bit more unpredictable.
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Realities of the Current Roster
The 2025 stats tell a story of a team that was efficient but lacked a knockout punch in the middle of the season. Rocco Becht threw for 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns. He was solid. But with the portal exodus, the 2026 season is basically a blank slate.
Most people get this wrong: they think a coaching change means a total "down year." In the modern NIL and portal era, that’s not necessarily true anymore. You can buy—or recruit—an entire starting lineup in six weeks. Rogers is trying to do exactly that. He’s landed commitments from guys like Cody Jackson (WR) and Maasai King (OL) to fill the gaps immediately.
Actionable Steps for Cyclone Fans
If you're trying to keep up with the chaos before the 2026 kickoff, here is what you actually need to do:
- Track the Portal Daily: Use sites like CycloneFanatic or the 247Sports Transfer Tracker. With 50+ departures, the roster is changing every 24 hours.
- Watch Jaylen Raynor Highlights: If you want to know what the 2026 offense will look like, go watch his 2025 tape at Arkansas State. He’s a dual-threat guy who brings a different dimension than the traditional pocket passers we've seen lately.
- Check the 2026 Schedule: The season starts September 5 against Southeast Missouri, but the big one is September 12 at Iowa City. That's the real test for the Rogers era.
- Support the NIL Collectives: Like it or hate it, the "We Will" collective is the only reason Iowa State is staying afloat in this transition. If you want the talent to stay in Ames, that's where the battle is won.
The transition from the Campbell era to the Rogers era is the biggest story in Ames in a decade. It’s messy, it’s loud, and it’s going to be fascinating to watch when the ball actually kicks off.