Iowa State transfer portal updates

TCU wide receiver Jordyn Bailey committed to Iowa State’s football team on Wednesday. CBS Sports first reported the news. Bailey has battled injuries throughout his career. He’s caught 18 passes for 191 yards and three touchdowns in three seasons with the Horned Frogs. The 5-10, 180-pound senior-to-be has also rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown in the past two seasons.

Arizona defensive lineman commits to Iowa State (1/20/26)

New Iowa State head football coach Jimmy Rogers’ first roster is nearly full, but Tuesday it gained one big addition via the transfer portal.

Arizona defensive lineman Kaleb Bilal-Jones (6-1, 312 pounds) announced his commitment to the Cyclones on social media. He was a three-star recruit in the class of 2025 and will retain four seasons of eligibility.

Two former Washington State commitments follow Rogers to Ames (1/17/26)

Iowa State football continues to put the finishing touches on its transfer portal-based roster overhaul.

Two former Washington State commitments — Australian punter Ethan Gurney and cornerback Tyrone Cotton II — announced on social media recently they plan to follow former Cougars head coach Jimmy Rogers to Ames.

Gurney has yet to play a college snap. Cotton, a 6-1, 170-pounder prospect, was a redshirt freshman last season.

Montana defensive lineman and Washington State cornerback added to Cyclones roster (1/13/26)

Iowa State head football coach Jimmy Rogers added two more players to his rapidly rebuilt roster on Tuesday.

Montana defensive lineman Jareb Ramos announced his commitment on social media. Washington State cornerback Tyrone Cotton III has also committed to the Cyclones, according to On3.

Tight end and running back depth added to Cyclones (1/12/26)

New Iowa State head football coach Jimmy Rogers added tight end and running back depth to his team Monday by picking up a trio of commitments from the transfer portal.

They are: Hampton tight end Christian Greenlaw, Bowling Green running back Cameron Pettaway, and Oklahoma State tight end Jordan Vyborny.

Greenlaw, a 6-5, 230-pounder, will be a junior. Cyclone Fanatic had news of his commitment first.

Pettaway, the MAC freshman of the year, combined for 504 yards rushing and receiving last season while scoring three total touchdowns (one on a kick return). The 5-9, 180-pound prospect will be a sophomore and ESPN reported the news of his commitment first.

Vyborny, a 6-5, 240-pounder, redshirted last season and will retain four years of eligibility. He was rated as the No. 14 tight end in the Class of 2025 and announced his commitment on social media.

Four more transfers added to Iowa State (1/9/26)

Iowa State’s new head football coach Jimmy Rogers’ roster rebuild is nearing the finishing stages after four more players committed to joining the program late Thursday and early Friday.

They are: Jack Janikowski, a 6-2, 242-pound defensive end from Washington State; Isaac Terrell, a 6-2, 247-pound defensive end from Washington State; Evan Boyd, a 6-3, 206-pound wide receiver from Michigan State; and Blake Hawkins, a 6-4, 240-pound defensive end from Iowa Western.

Janikowski, who will be a junior, had three tackles for loss and a sack last season for the Cougars, while Terrell, a senior-to-be, totaled 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks.

Boyd, who will be a junior, played in all 12 games for the Spartans and made three catches for 54 yards.

Hawkins notched 23.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks as a redshirt freshman last season for the Reivers.

Iowa State adds two more Washington State transfers (1/8/26)

Iowa State’s new head football coach Jimmy Rogers continued to add production and depth in the trenches on Thursday via the transfer portal, landing two off his former Washington State defensive lineman.

Senior-to-be Bryson Lamb, a 6-2, 301-pound defensive tackle, totaled 13 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a fumble recovery for the Cougars last season as a full-time starter.

So did junior-to-be Malaki Ta’ase, a 6-2, 265-pound edge rusher who notched 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble last season while playing in all 13 games with one start.

Both Lamb and Ta’ase announced their commitments on social media.

Iowa State adds four more transfers (1/7/26)

The pace may have slowed (for now at least), but Iowa State’s 2026 football roster continues to take shape.

Four new players announced their intention to transfer to head coach Jimmy Rogers’ program late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

They are: Michigan State offensive lineman Gavin Broscious (6-4, 308); Colorado School of Mines offensive lineman Cade Myer (6-2, 305); Sioux Falls offensive lineman Caden Mass (6-5, 305); and South Dakota defensive end Caden Crawford (6-4, 265).

Broscious started four games at guard as a sophomore for the Spartans last season.

Myer, a graduate transfer, is a two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic conference selection.

Mass retains two seasons of eligilibilty, but Crawford — who had 10.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks for the Coyotes last season — retains just one season of eligibility.

Iowa State adds eight more from the portal (1/6/26)

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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