A creature of habit, he must leave his ‘comfort zone’ for Cyclones’ season-opening football game against Kansas State
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A creature of habit, he must leave his ‘comfort zone’ for Cyclones’ season-opening football game against Kansas State
When Matt Campbell advocated for Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel in a phone call with the Houston Texans general manager, it helped that Xavier Hutchinson has experienced success since his sixth-round selection in 2023.
With all 257 picks of the 2025 NFL draft complete, this year’s batch of undrafted free agents include some Iowa and Iowa State players with impressive resumes.
It did not always seem like it, but Iowa football is well represented in the 2025 NFL draft class. Five former Hawkeyes heard their names called during the three-day event (with three of them being selected in the final 25 picks).
Most of those leaders have now landed in the professional ranks
Jalen Travis is the first Iowa State offensive lineman drafted since 2013.
The Houston Texans selected Iowa State’s Jaylin Noel with the 79th overall pick in the third round of the NFL draft.
In his one season as a starter at Iowa State, Porter allowed receptions on only five of 17 targets (29.4 percent) in 2024, per Pro football Focus. He then helped his case at the NFL Combine, where he ran a 4.3-second 40-yard dash and posted the best three-cone and 20-yard shuttle times among cornerbacks at the combine.
Jayden Higgins did not have to wait long on Friday to find his NFL home.
Jaylin Noel projected as a likely early second-day draft pick
Jake Landry, a former North Dakota State offensive coordinator, has a talented room to work with in Ames, including last year’s two top rushers
After an injury-plagued 2024 season, the Iowa State linebackers are poised for healthy returns this season, giving the Cyclones a deep and skilled room that can attack opposing offenses with multiple combinations and maneuvers.
Iowa State safety Jeremiah Cooper has fully absorbed the leadership lessons laid out by predecessors Anthony Johnson and Beau Freyler, and is now the next man up, fully prepared to fulfill that vital role for the Cyclones.
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