COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Day 43

Joel Lanning has been the Iowa State linebacker grabbing all the headlines leading up to the 2017 season, but there is another newcomer in the group who could make a big impact on the Cyclones’ defense this season.

Redshirt freshman Tymar Sutton would have battled for playing time as a true freshman if not for a preseason hand injury. He’s back to full strength this year and listed behind Lanning as the No. 2 mike linebacker on Iowa State’s pre-fall camp depth chart.

The former three-star recruit chose Iowa State over offers from Maryland, Illinois, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Boston College. Sutton, a 5-foot-10, 222-pound Pennsylvania native, was rated as the No. 87 outside linebacker in the 2016 class by Scout.

He was an honorable mention all-state selection by Pennsylvania Football News as a senior at McKeesport High School after recording 19 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery for a team that went 9-2.

Getting snaps isn’t a guarantee for Sutton with Lanning solidifying himself as the leader of the linebacker room, but there is little doubt he will be looked on to be a major contributor for Iowa State in the not so distant future.