COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Day 11

Few freshman skill position players at Iowa State have garnered the same level of hype before stepping on the field than Chase Allen. The redshirt freshman tight end from Nixa, Mo. is expected to see his first action as a Cyclone when Northern Iowa visits Jack Trice Stadium for the season opener.

Allen, a former three-star recruit by all the major recruiting services, chose the Cyclones on national signing day in 2016 over offers from Florida State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and a host of others. The son of former Iowa State assistant Terry Allen was rated as the No. 3 player in Missouri by ESPN.

He was an all-state selection in football, basketball and track and field during his standout prep career at Nixa High School. The engineering major most likely would have seen the field as a true freshman before injuries suffered after being hit by a car outside the football facility and getting sick early in the season.

After Iowa State has struggled to find production from the tight ends in recent seasons, it seems as though those struggles could come to an end when Allen steps on the field in 2017.

Jared Stansbury

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Jared a native of Clarinda, Iowa, started as the Cyclone Fanatic intern in August 2013, primarily working as a videographer until starting on the women’s basketball beat prior to the 2014-15 season. Upon earning his Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from Iowa State in May 2016, Jared was hired as the site’s full-time staff writer, taking over as the primary day-to-day reporter on football and men’s basketball. He was elevated to the position of managing editor in January 2020. He is a regular contributor on 1460 KXNO in Des Moines and makes regular guest appearances on radio stations across the Midwest. Jared resides in Ankeny with his four-year-old puggle, Lolo.

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