Oct 12, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Rylan Barnes (41) pressures West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) during a pass during the second quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
AMES — There’s an art to picking rocks.
You look for one bigger than your fist, then pluck it from the rich soil. It’s a tedious and time-consuming process — and no stone is left unturned.
“Anything bigger than that might mess up the combine,” said farm kid-turned-starting Iowa State starting linebacker Rylan Barnes. “So you try to get all those out. It’s not very fun. Long days. But, you know, anything to help out.”
Barnes — a walk-on and former West Hancock standout from Britt — is poised to make his third consecutive start when the No. 11 Cyclones (7-0, 4-0 Big 12) take on Texas Tech (5-3, 3-2) at 2:30 p.m. Saturday (ESPN) at a fully-packed Jack Trice Stadium.
The 6-3, 235-pound redshirt freshman began the season buried well down the depth chart, but rapidly rose to the surface because of his grit and dogged work ethic, and a spate of injuries that sidelined three of the Cyclones’ top linebackers.
“I just think we’ve been fortunate to have great young men that have great character picking up rocks,” said ISU head coach Matt Campbell, whose team has never started a season 8-0 in its 133-year history. “I would say, like, he’s been the rock (recently). I think we were uneasy for a while, and when he stepped in and kind of became the rock — I mean, the way he’s played has been, not just like, he’s playing. He’s playing really good football for us. He’s strong. He’s physical. He’s powerful at the point of attack. He’s a really good dropper in terms of pass coverage. I feel like he’s a guy that’s just really continued to get better.”
Barnes’ ascent from afterthought status to key contributor has helped the Cyclones’ defense navigate choppy waters as projected starting linebackers Caleb Bacon and Will McLaughlin have missed all or mostly all of the season because of injuries. Another top linebacker, Carson Willich, has been out since spring ball, so players such as Barnes and true freshman linebacker Beau Goodwin have necessarily emerged as ISU comes off its second bye week of the season.
“Maybe some guy shows up like Rylan Barnes, who you might not expect on defense, but he does well on the scout team all week, and you have a chance in a competitive drive situation where he does well versus your starters or your twos, and that’s a guy you’ve got to find a way to get on the field,” said Cyclones first-year offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, who’s seen similar developments on his side of the ball with walk-on receiver Carson Brown making some big plays in critical moments.
Barnes has consistently graded out higher according to Pro Football Focus College, attaining a solid 71.9 mark in ISU’s comeback 38-35 win over UCF two weeks ago. He’s credited with five quarterback pressures this season and three hurries. He’s totaled 17 tackles in the past two games by minding his gaps and staying in position.
“All the guys that work with the linebackers, they do a great job of preparing us,” said Barnes, an agricultural studies major. “And once we get to that moment, you know what your job is, and all you’ve got to do is execute.”
ISU’s defense will be tested by the Red Raiders, who average a Big 12-best 38.1 points per game. But the Cyclones counter with the nation’s ninth-best scoring defense, which is allowing a meager 14.4 points per game. Barnes’ unexpected but crucial contributions help to keep opposing offenses off-kilter — and his small-town upbringing serves as a point of pride as his snap count grows.
“It’s great coming from a small town because a lot of the time we’re representing the guys that didn’t get a shot,” Barnes said. “So I think we take a tremendous amount of (pride) in being out there on the field, being on the biggest stage, and showing everyone what small towns can do.”
Barnes doesn’t have to pick up rocks anymore. The rest of his family handles that task. He can focus on uplifting his teammates, and helping the Cyclones approach previously unattainable heights.
“When our story is over somebody here, I hope this is a story that resonates,” Campbell said. “Man, what was this era about, of reaching your full potential and becoming the best version of yourself? I feel like Rylan’s a guy that’s certainly living that moment right now.”
