Iowa State Cyclones running back Jaylon Jackson (12) runs with the ball between North Dakota Fighting Hawks quarterback Jett Sutton (33) and North Dakota Fighting Hawks defensive back Tyler Erkman (9) during the third quarter in the season opening game at Jack Trice Stadium on Aug. 31, 2024, in Ames, Iowa © Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK
Iowa State will return to the field Saturday (1:00 p.m. ESPN+) following an early-season bye week that gave its roster a chance to take a breath.
Here are five things to look for from the Cyclones (2-0) against Arkansas State (2-1) after Tuesday’s round of press conferences.
Offensive lineman Jalen Travis and Deylin Hasert
Iowa State offensive linemen Jalen Travis and Deylin Hasert each missed the first two games of the season due to injury.
However, Iowa State coach Matt Campbell expects both to be available to play on Saturday.
“I think both will be available,” Campbell said. “It certainly looks like we’re trending that way right now. Both of those guys got reps the last two weeks and I think both are on a really good progression. I don’t know if I would say they’re at full-strength, but I think they’re really close to it. So, I think both guys would certainly be available.”
Travis has plenty of hype behind him, being a well-heralded offensive lineman during his time at Princeton. Hasert has shown promise, too.
But the competitions at both of those positions are still being ironed out.
“Obviously, that’s going to be a battle,” Campbell said. “That offensive line played, I thought really well, last Saturday and is continuing to grow. To me, there’s great competition at every position.”
“You’ve got left tackle with James (Neal) and obviously getting Jalen (Travis) back, and certainly at left guard with what Trevor Buhr has done, and really pushing what that looks like at center,” Campbell said. “There’s great competition at right guard obviously with Deylin right now with where he’s at – certainly pushing Brendan (Black). Then Tyler Miller and Tyler Maro (at right tackle) – both those guys have played, so to me, I still think we’re kind of where we were at the beginning of the season. It’s early, and we’ve got to see what’s the best combination.”
That’s not to say there won’t be more movement at the offensive line positions throughout the rest of the season – coach Ryan Clanton has always been of the mindset to put his best five players on the line and teach every one of them each position.
Arkansas State picked off Michigan three times last Saturday
Arkansas State’s defense picked off Michigan’s offense three times on Saturday, even forcing the No. 18 Wolverines to make a change at quarterback.
Rocco Becht and the Cyclones are well aware of the Red Wolves’ opportunistic pass defense.
“I watched the game,” Becht said. “They’re a team that’s fast – they fly around to the ball. Just being able to stay on my reads, and trust my progression and process, I think I’ll be fine.”
Becht threw an interception against Iowa, but limited the turnovers to one and hopes to keep that trend going this week.
“They like to run a lot of basic cover 4,” Becht said. “They’ll sprinkle in some blitzing and some cover 3, we’re just going into it trying to find the right plays and the right concepts to go up against this team, and find ways to get the ball up and have our receivers go make plays.”
Jaylon Jackson should get some more run time
Running back Jaylon Jackson only took four rushing attempts in Iowa State’s season opener against North Dakota, before he came in during the Cy-Hawk game and averaged 5.2 yards per carry in the process.
The 26 yards Jackson rushed for in Iowa City played a pivotal role in getting Iowa State the win, and may result in some more attempts for the transfer product this week.
“Boy, I thought he was electric in that game,” Campbell said. “I think Jaylon’s deal has been really fun. He really started spring ball with a bang. I would have told you midway through spring that he was one of our most impressive players in spring practice. He kind of got dinged up and missed the second half of spring ball, and then came back and had a really good fall camp.”
Iowa State will want to avoid as many injuries as it can already, but with the amount of swapping in and out that goes on with the running backs position, it’s not hard to imagine Jackson’s carries reaching double digits on Saturday.
“I think what (Jackson) brings is number one – he brings great maturity,” Campbell said. “Number two – he certainly has been in multiple offenses. He’s had to play in different systems, so I think his confidence in our system has just grown from fall camp to where we are right now. He’s got the ability to make one vertical cut, and he can make you miss. He’s a great football player in space and he’s got great speed… he’s a guy that can add a lot of value to the offense.”
Young guns Kooper Ebel & Cael Brezina standing out
Iowa State has had its biggest adversity within the program come with three of its leaders at the linebacker position suffering longer-term injuries that will hold them out for a majority of the season.
But the leadership off the field from redshirt junior Caleb Bacon, junior Will McLaughlin and redshirt sophomore Carson Willich is paying dividends for a young group that is still coming into its own.
“That group has had just a warrior spirit, really, in terms of outs its responded,” Campbell said. “I think the first point is, you’ve got to talk about the guys that are injured and how they’ve been elite coaches. What Carson Willich has done and how he’s been coaching that group. Literally, Caleb (Bacon) was sitting in the hospital bed and Cael (Brezina) is sitting in the room going through practice film with him. To watch those guys and watch Will McLaughlin, and the value of playing as a young freshman, helping those guys from a mentality standpoint.”
Sophomore Kooper Ebel tied for second on the team, finishing with six tackles in the Cy-Hawk win.
Freshman Cael Brezina wasn’t fazed by having green dot (play-calling) duties despite only having a couple of days to practice in a new position to himself, either.
“It’s been really rewarding to watch and it’s been rewarding to watch the guys who have played just continue to grow and get better,” Campbell said. “Kooper (Ebel’s) gain from week 1 to week 2 – I think he made a huge jump in his play and his confidence, obviously. Cael really wasn’t playing that position, so you throw him in with two practices to get ready for obviously that opponent and that environment – I thought the courage to do it and then progress throughout the football game was really huge.”
Campbell went on to mention Jacob Ellis – who had been kept off the field with injuries during the last two seasons – now getting his own opportunity, too.
The hope is that the young talent continues to develop and improve this week.
“Now to be able to get another week of practice and kind of get some time to get engrained in that position – it’s going to be fun to watch,” Campbell said.
Will a third receiver emerge?
In the 2023 season, Iowa State standout wide receiver Jayden Higgins finished with less than 31 yards in three of his first four games. That only happened one more time during the final nine games of the year.
The hope for Cyclone fans is that something similar can happen to further compliment both Jaylin Noel and Higgins at the position.
There’s a grace period early on, though, that redshirt freshman Beni Ngoyi, transfer junior Isaiah Alston (Army), and transfer junior Eli Green (North Dakota) will go through.
“One of the guys is a young guy in Beni and then the other two are transfers,” Becht said. “Having them be transfers coming in, it’s hard to get into a flow in those first two games – especially at a higher level than where they were at. I go back on where Jayden had those first couple of games – it’s just letting those guys get in the rhythm, get in the flow of things and understanding the offense a little bit more. That’s why this bye week was so beneficial for us – to find that third guy.”
That period got addressed over the bye week according to Becht.
“I think that’s why the bye week was another beneficial week for us, finding guys to step up and finding that third receiver for us,” Becht said. “I’m pretty sure that we’ll see on Saturday if those guys are able to step up and become that third receiver.”
