New Iowa State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton wants his linemen to play with ‘bad intentions’

AMES — “Bad intentions.”

In two words, that’s the mentality new Iowa State offensive line coach Ryan Clanton expects his linemen to showcase from every snap to what he calls the echo of the whistle.

There’s no room for timidity. They must be stern and menacing.

In short, they should be like his former Northern Iowa offensive tackle Trevor Penning, who last season became the Panthers’ highest NFL Draft pick ever, going to the New Orleans Saints as the 19th overall selection.

“He plays with bad intentions,” said Clanton, one of three new offensive staff members for ISU, which seeks to rebound from its first losing season since 2016. “Very bad intentions. That’s him as a player and the best part about that — because there’s always a line, where if someone is that physical on the field, then they can never turn it off.

“That’s the thing about Trevor. He was that guy on the field. He was that guy that truly defined playing to the echo of the whistle completely, but as soon as he got off the field he was a great leader and a guy that everybody respected. He was very humble.”

Clanton helped turn a pair of UNI players into NFL linemen in the past two seasons. Spencer Brown was a third-round pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2021, so Clanton’s track record in terms of player development is firmly established.

“You saw what he was able to do when you talk about the physical growth with some of the guys he’s mentored along the way,” Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell said last week. “And then obviously as we continue to clean up what we want to do schematically, continuing to allow those guys to be their best, I think that part’s really exciting for everybody involved, especially when — if you feel like I do — that there’s a lot of talent in that room to be really successful.”

Clanton arrived in Ames with a clear-cut blueprint for identifying and developing players. It’s a straightforward approach. Simple in its design, but complex in its progression.

“I think offensive line and really anybody in general (spends upon) strength, nutrition and really the full spectrum of developing the body, and then identifying those targets in recruiting that can get to that size,” Clanton said. “It’s something that I did for myself as a player, so I’m really comfortable with it. I know the process. I did it to myself.

“Then when you take people and frames that are even better and larger, it really pays dividends.”

ISU ranked sixth in the Big 12 in sacks allowed last season and lagged far behind the other nine league schools in terms of its rushing attack. Getting better in both areas, of course, is Clanton’s primary goal, but he also served as UNI’s offensive coordinator last season, so he’s part of the brain trust led by first-year offensive coordinator Nate Scheelhaase tasked with revamping the offense as a whole.

“What he’s been able to do (in) developing players and offensive linemen is second to none,” Scheelhaase said. “So we were really excited about adding him in and then, again, schematically he’s real, really sharp.

“When it comes to the run game, when it comes to protection, he’s obviously had to do more than just be an offensive line coach. He’s had to think big picture.”

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