Rob Gray

Iowa State redshirt freshman Rocco Becht might have taken by far the most snaps at quarterback Friday night during the annual event that gives children with disabilities dozens of touchdown-scoring moments at Jack Trice Stadium, but that doesn’t mean he’s the No. 1 quarterback.

Cartevious Norton is Iowa State’s leading returning rusher since Jirehl Brock recently left the team, but he’s not alone in a crowded backfield — and Cyclones football coach Matt Campbell said several players could contribute to a running game that ranked last in the Big 12 last season.

Beau Freyler — an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection as a freshman and a sophomore — ranked second on the Iowa State team in tackles last season with 68. He also notched his first career interception while forcing a fumble, so he’s a hard-hitting disruptor capable of making game-changing plays.

Iowa State simply can’t win with regularity when it's ranked 118th or worse in any — let alone three — special teams categories. As a result, Cyclones football coach Matt Campbell brought in Jordan Langs to coordinate those units while also coaching the running backs.

Easton Dean’s physical struggles last season mirrored Iowa State’s as a whole. Now he stands front and center for a group looking to serve as a so-called security blanket as the Cyclones break in a new quarterback.

Iowa State defensive tackle Domonique Orange stands 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 335 pounds. He’s skilled and explosive on the defensive interior, tearing through the trenches with brute force and bad intentions.

Jirehl Brock, Iowa State’s leading rusher last season, has voluntarily left the program, an ISU athletics spokesperson confirmed Monday to The Gazette.

Ryan Clanton helped turn both former Northern Iowa standouts into early-round NFL Draft picks, so when he chose to join Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell’s staff, current ISU offensive linemen took notice.

Beyond longtime starter Gerry Vaughn, several Iowa State linebackers have shined at times throughout spring ball, summer workouts and fall camp. The crux of the competition for the other two spots alongside Vaughn naturally centers on consistency

As impressive as their catches are, avid fishermen Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins are chasing bigger ones as Iowa State football fall camp amps up and dovetails toward the Sept. 2 season opener against Northern Iowa.

The Iowa State quarterback position looks to be as unsettled as it’s been since Matt Campbell’s first season in 2016 — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

Iowa State senior defensive tackle Isaiah Lee has left the team, an Iowa State athletics spokesperson confirmed Monday. Lee is one of six Cyclone players known to be facing charges stemming from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s inquiry into sport gambling

Iowa State special teams standout Ben Nikkel calls special teams plays “controlled chaos.” That’s nothing compared to the commotion created Monday when Cyclones Coach Matt Campbell announced Nikkel would be placed on scholarship.

Iowa State running back Jirehl Brock and three other teammates face charges stemming from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation’s inquiry into sports gambling.

New Iowa State special teams coordinator Jordan Langs joined the program with one simple goal in mind: Be of help, not a hindrance.