Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Beau Freyler (17) celebrates with teammates after an interception during the fourth quarter in the Jack Trice Legacy Game at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, in Ames, Iowa. © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
AMES — They’re both two-time captains. They’re both all-Big 12 caliber performers. And now Iowa State safety Beau Freyler and wide receiver Jaylin Noel can finally look forward to taking the field side-by-side — not merely locked up against each other in practice.
“We’re ready to go,” Noel said of the Cyclones’ season opener against North Dakota at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (FS1) at Jack Trice Stadium. “It couldn’t come fast enough. It felt like it took forever to get here, but now we’re here.”
Almost, anyway. Defensive lineman J.R. Singleton joins Noel and Freyler to form ISU’s permanent trio of team captains this season. The Cyclones’ players voted on the matter — and one additional player will be selected from a “pod” late each week to be a fourth captain.
“I think the voting, to have two back-to-back captains in Beau and Jaylin — and I would say overwhelmingly, probably the most votes two young men have had in the voting process,” said ISU’s ninth-year head coach Matt Campbell, whose team seeks to win its fourth straight season opener. “I think it (also) says a lot about J.R. Singleton and his growth in our program. He’s our spiritual leader (and) his consistency to grow through hard things that have come his way has been really impressive.”
That crucible-based quality permeates each of the Cyclones’ three senior captains. Freyler and Noel test each other each practice and as the competition heightens, their bond as leaders deepens.
“(The receivers) push me to be better and push others to be better, so I’ve got nothing but respect for them,” said Freyler, who led ISU by a wide margin with 107 total tackles last season. “It’s fun and exciting that we’re not going against them on Saturday and we can just cheer them on instead of competing every single day, for sure.”
The Cyclones’ receivers could give Freyler and his defensive teammates plenty of reasons to cheer on Saturday. The No. 22 (FCS coaches’ poll) Fighting Hawks return three starting linebackers, but lack experience on the defensive line and in the secondary. ISU boasts a potent 1-2 punch at receiver in Noel and Jayden Higgins, but the Cyclones’ stable of pass catchers runs deep — despite the loss of senior Daniel Jackson to a lower leg injury in fall camp.
“I think it’s gonna be a surprise every week for us as a receivers group,” said Higgins, who racked up 983 receiving yards last season while scoring six touchdowns. “I feel like we can all go out there and make plays.”
ISU’s defensive backfield shares the same sentiment. Cornerbacks Darien Porter, Myles Purchase and Jontez Williams will all see significant snaps, and the high-performing safety trio of Freyler, Jeremiah Cooper and Malik Verdon is fully healthy for the first time since last season’s opener. Cooper snared five interceptions last season, while Freyler grabbed three, and Verdon picked off two despite missing the final four games because of injury.
“I think we’ve all done a great job of preparing this offseason, putting in that work,” Freyler said. “So I’m confident in whoever steps on the field, for sure.”
Campbell said earlier this summer that Freyler — a first-team Academic All-American — serves as an “anchor” for the Cyclones’ defense and embodies “a warrior spirit.” But how does his defensive coordinator, Jon Heacock, describe him?
“He loves hard stuff,” Heacock said. “The harder it gets, the better Beau plays. When it gets really tough, Beau plays his best and that’s a ‘warrior’s spirit.’”
ISU’s fans obviously hope there aren’t too many hard things to navigate on Saturday as 27.5-point favorites. But Freyler, Noel and Singleton are poised to help their teammates weather the storms that will inevitably pop up throughout the regular season — and possibly beyond. That’s what captains do, after all.
“Guys have pushed each other,” said Noel, who led the Cyclones with seven touchdown catches last season. “I feel like that’s been the most important thing for our growth this season. We know what we’re capable of.”
