Iowa State transfer portal updates

Iowa State head football coach Jimmy Rogers continues to rapidly make up for 50-plus departures from his team by mining the transfer portal.

To wit: Rogers and his staff gained commitments from eight more players late Monday and early Tuesday, including star Toledo safety Braden Awls, who had visited Indiana before committing to the Cyclones.

Offensive lineman Braden Smith (Tarleton State); wide receiver Carter Pabst (Washington State); offensive lineman Colin Amick (Montana); linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen (Washington State); and wide receiver Omari Hayes (Tulane); kicker Adlai Lounsbury (Washington State; and safety Brody Miller (Washington State) round out the most recent round of commitments.

Awls (6-0, 196) notched 52 tackles and five interceptions for the Rockets as a junior last season.

Smith (6-4, 290) was an FCS All-American as a redshirt freshman last season.

Pabst (6-1, 194) averaged 18.7 yards per catch as a freshman, Amick (6-6, 295) earned FCS freshman All-American honors, and Schlimgen (6-1, 210) had 49 tackles as a true freshman last season.

Hayes, who stands 5-9 and weighs 170 pounds, retains two seasons of eligibility. He caught 39 passes in each of the past two seasons for the Green Wave while scoring four touchdowns in that span.

Lounsbury is a Van Meter native who retains full eligibility and Miller (6-1, 178) appeared in five games for the Cougars as a freshman this season.

Iowa state football gains commitment from former Oklahoma offensive lineman (1/5/26)

Jake Taylor, a former consensus four-star offensive lineman who played at Oklahoma, has committed to Iowa State’s football program.

Taylor, a 6-6, 313-pound redshirt junior, has battled injuries most of his career. He didn’t play this season, but has appeared in 16 games — including four starts at tackle for the Sooners in 2024.

CBS Sports first reported the news of Taylor’s commitment.

Several former Washington State players commit to Iowa State (1/5/26)

AMES — The influx of former Washington State players to Iowa State has begun in earnest.

At least six former Cougars announced they’d be following their former head coach, Jimmy Rogers, to Ames Monday afternoon, including former team captain Max Baloun.

247 Sports and CBS Sports had the news of these six transfers first.

Baloun, a 6-6, 285 senior defensive tackle, had four tackles and one sack before suffering a season-ending injury early last fall. He’d previously followed Rogers from South Dakota State to Washington State.

Safety Duhron Goodman, offensive lineman Trevor Bindel, defensive lineman Donovan Fitzmaurice, safety Damarius Russell, and cornerback Trillion Sorrell also plan to join the Cyclones’ program next season.

Iowa State adds six transfer commitments (1/5/26)

AMES — Iowa State has gained commitments from six transfer players since late Sunday night.

Jimmy Rogers and his staff added Austin Peay linebacker Montreze Smith, Jr.; Bowling Green cornerback Keyon Washington; Tarleton State wide receiver Cody Jackson; cornerback Willie Breland; offensive lineman DeAndre Carter; and tight end Tyler Fortenberry to the roster.

Smith (5-11, 204) started his career at Duke. He totaled 73 tackles, four sacks and three interceptions in his redshirt freshman season for the Governors.

Washington, a 6-1, 185-pound former West Virginia commitment, compiled 24 tackles, one sack and one interception as a freshman for the Falcons.

Jackson (6-0, 175), a former Oklahoma player, caught 14 touchdown passes for the Texans over his sophomore and junior seasons.

Breland, a 6-2 JUCO prospect, had 35 tackles, one sack and one interception for Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College last season.

Carter, a heavily recruited 6-4, 345 prospect, played in every game as a redshirt freshman at Auburn last season. He'll follow his offensive line coach, Jake Thornton, to Ames.

Fortenberry, a 6-5, 240-pound junior, caught 32 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns for the Red Wolves last season. He’ll reunite with his quarterback, Jaylen Raynor, and offensive coordinator, Keith Heckendorf, with the Cyclones. Heckendorf is ISU’s new quarterbacks coach.

CBS Sports announced the Carter and Fortenberry commitments first.

Three more former Cyclones commit to Penn State (1/4/26)

Iowa State’s leading rusher (Carson Hansen) and wide receiver (Brett Eskildsen), along with one of its most experienced linebackers (Caleb Bacon), committed to Penn State on Sunday.

ESPN and On3 reported the news on the former Cyclone trio’s movement first.

Hansen rushed for 1,704 yards and 19 touchdowns the past two seasons. Eskildsen averaged 17.5 yards per catch and totaled 526 yards while hauling in five touchdowns this season.

Bacon totaled 128 tackles, six sacks and two forced fumbles in two seasons as a starter. — Rob Gray, correspondent

Former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht follows Matt Campbell to Penn State (1/4/26)

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Former Iowa State star quarterback Rocco Becht intends to transfer to Penn State, according to a report from CBS Sports.

Becht — the Cyclones’ second-winningest quarterback in program history — threw 16 touchdown passes to nine interceptions while battling myriad injuries this season. His career touchdown-to-interception ratio is 64-to-27 and he’s also rushed for 19 touchdowns in his career.

Former Cedar Rapids Prairie star Gabe Burkle commits to Penn State (1/4/26)

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Former Cedar Rapids Prairie star Gabe Burkle announced his commitment to to Matt Campbell and Penn State Sunday on social media.

The 6-6, 255-pound tight end caught 26 passes for 302 yards and a touchdown this season before being sidelined with an injury sustained in the 20-17 win at TCU in early November.

Burkle's one of a handful of former Cyclones to already commit to the Nittany Lions, joining fellow tight end Ben Brahmer, safety Marcus Neal, and others.

ISU’s Jimmy Rogers lands three more from the transfer portal (1/4/26)

A former familiar foe and one of the MAC’s top offensive lineman are among the recent commitments to Iowa State.

Former Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor and former Akron offensive tackle Maasai King told CBS Sports late Saturday and early Sunday, respectively, that they plan to join Jimmy Rogers’ program in Ames.

Raynor — who played against the Cyclones in each of the past two seasons — accounted for 67 total touchdowns (52 passing, 15 rushing) in three seasons with the Red Wolves. He’s also thrown 28 career interceptions and retains one season of eligibility.

The Cyclones also recently picked up a commitment from 6-7, 300-pound former Northern Iowa offensive tackle Gavin Proudfoot, who also retains one season of eligibility.

King, a 6-4, 305-pound senior to be, allowed just two sacks last season for the Zips, according to PFF College.

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com