5 Cincinnati players to know against No. 14 Iowa State

AMES — Intriguing storylines abound for No. 14 Iowa State’s first true Big 12 road game of the football season at Cincinnati.

Here’s one: The Cyclones (5-0, 2-0) opened as 3.5-point favorites in Saturday’s 11 a.m. matchup with the Bearcats (3-1, 1-0), but quickly became 1.5-point underdogs by Monday afternoon.

Here’s another: ISU will face longtime former assistant Tyson Veidt — who’s now in his second season as Cincinnati’s defensive coordinator.

“He’s a true dear friend to me,” the Cyclones’ second-year offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser said last week. “He taught me a lot as a young coach here and he’s gonna have those guys playing hard and being physical and doing everything they can to win the line of scrimmage.

“They’re violent. They’re downhill. They’re physical.”

So suffice it to say this important matchup in the Queen City will be interesting from a variety of angles.

The Cyclones, of course, seek to reaffirm yet again that they remain one of the top contenders for a conference crown.

The Bearcats, meanwhile, appear poised to position themselves within that mix for the first time in their three seasons in the Big 12.

Who will win? Who knows, but here are five Cincinnati players to keep an eye on — along with the health status of star defensive lineman Dontay Corleone, who’s missed the past two games because of injury:

QB Brendan Sorsby

The 6-foot-3, 235-pound junior from Denton, Texas, is the highest-rated quarterback in the country, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) College.

In three seasons as the starter, Sorsby’s compiled an impressive 45-to-12 touchdown-to-interception ratio and he’s also one of the Big 12’s top running quarterbacks. Sorsby leads the Bearcats in rushing yards (227) and touchdowns on the ground (four) and he’s averaging a robust 6.5 yards per carry.

He’s also been on fire since Cincinnati’s season-opening, 20-17, loss to Nebraska, averaging 324.7 yards passing while throwing eight touchdowns to zero interceptions. Sorsby led the Bearcats to a last-minute comeback win last week at Kansas — and threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns in the process. He will pose a stern challenge to ISU’s banged-up defense.

WR Cyrus Allen

The twice-transferred senior from New Orleans already has eclipsed his receiving yards total from last season at Texas A&M (273 yards to 269) and leads Cincinnati with five touchdown receptions.

Allen’s 23 catches this season lead the team and it’s not even close (speedster and fellow transfer Caleb Goodie, who averages 19.3 yards per catch, ranks second with 13).

The 5-11, 180-pounder went off in last week’s 37-34 win at Kansas, hauling in 11 receptions for 128 yards and two scores. So Allen’s both sure-handed and capable of producing big plays in the passing game, with two catches this season spanning 37 or more yards.

LB Jake Golday

Golday has played his way into being considered as a possible Day 2 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

The former Central Arkansas transfer leads the Bearcats with 36 tackles this season after ranking second on the team in stops in 2024. The 6-4, 240-pound senior from Arlington, Texas, is rock solid against the run and a prime playmaker in blitz situations.

Golday is tied for the team lead in sacks with two and also has one quarterback hurry. He totaled 26 tackles in the first two games of the season, setting single-game career highs each time.

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S Antwan Peek Jr.

The 6-1, 214-pound junior’s been a playmaker for Cincinnati since his true freshman season and he’s poked away six fumbles in the past two seasons alone.

Peek’s big frame allows him to excel both in run support and pass coverage. He was also credited by Bearcats Coach Scott Satterfield for making “the play of the game” in last week’s win at Kansas. Peek forced and recovered a fumble near his team’s goal line early in the fourth quarter of that triumph in Lawrence.

TE Joe Royer

Royer, a hometown hero of sorts, also is considered to be one of the league’s top tight ends — and was recognized as such in the preseason.

The 6-5, 250-pound senior already has two touchdown catches this season after hauling in three in 2024. Royer provides Sorsby with a high-end safety valve in the passing game and also is a bruising blocker in the run game.

Comments: robgray18@icloud.com