Nov 16, 2024; Ames, Iowa, USA; Iowa State Cyclones linebacker Jacob Ellis (44), defensive back Darien Porter (10) and defensive back Malik Verdon (7) celebrate during their game with the Cincinnati Bearcats at Jack Trice Stadium. The Iowa State Cyclones won the game 34-17. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
AMES — A few months ago, Iowa State’s veteran defensive coordinator Jon Heacock described senior cornerback Darien Porter’s ceiling as “unlimited.”
Star sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht called the former Bettendorf star “a longer T.J. Tampa” — a flattering reference to the former Cyclone standout at corner and current Baltimore Raven.
So what has Porter done since then?
Just become PFF College’s highest ranked Power Four cornerback in single coverage with an impressive grade of 90.8 this season.
“Truthfully, I never thought I’d be in this position, literally, figuratively,” Porter said.
Fortunately for him and No. 22 ISU (8-2 5-2 Big 12), Heacock and his fellow coaches did — and Porter enters Saturday’s 6:30 p.m. road finale at Utah (4-6, 1-6) poised to enhance his NFL Draft hopes while boosting his team’s chances of remaining in conference title contention.
“I’m very grateful,” said Porter, a converted wide receiver and special teams ace who made his first career start this season. “Grateful for my teammates and my coaches for never giving up on me.”
Porter’s emergence as a lockdown corner has helped an already-talented Cyclone secondary become one of the stingiest units in the country. ISU’s allowing opponents to gain 153.4 yards per game through the air, which ranks third nationally among FBS teams. The Utes, meanwhile, have started three different quarterbacks this season and rank 14th in the Big 12 in points per game at 22.7. They’ve lost six consecutive games, but are always tough at home. Utah’s replete with playmakers on the defensive side of the ball, helping the team stay in games even as injuries have decimated the offense.
“This is bar-none the best defense that we will have played,” said Cyclone head coach Matt Campbell, whose team seeks to record nine or more regular-season wins for the first time in program history. “You look at their front seven, all fifth- and sixth-year seniors, some of the best defensive players in the country at their positions — man, you just look at this football team. Gritty, tough, and they’ve been through heck and back with injuries and they’ve been right there to win (most) of these football games.”
That’s the challenge Becht and ISU’s offense will face, but Porter and company should be able to rattle the Utes’ talented true freshman quarterback, Isaac Wilson. The former four-star recruit has thrown 10 touchdown passes while being picked off 11 times. He threw two touchdown passes and a career-high three interceptions in last week’s 49-24 loss at Colorado, and has been sacked two or more times in five consecutive games.
“We’re going down the stretch (where) our best players have to play their best football,” Heacock said.
That’s what Porter’s been doing all season for an ISU secondary that’s tied for eighth nationally in interceptions with 14. His three picks rank second on the team to fellow corner Jontez Williams, who has four. Safeties Jeremiah Cooper and Beau Freyler have two interceptions a piece, and Jamison Patton, Myles Purchase and Malik Verdon each have one.
Verdon missed most of the Kansas loss because of an upper body injury, but forced a fumble in Saturday’s 34-17 win over Cincinnati. And while he and other defenders such as linebacker Will McLaughlin and defensive lineman Dom Orange get healthier, the Cyclones may be without senior captain and defensive tackle J.R. Singleton, who left last week’s game with an arm injury.
“(He’s) probably up in the air right now,” Campbell said of Singleton, who he deemed questionable for Saturday’s game. “We were really worried it was gonna be season ending. It’s not. So that’s a huge win for J.R. and certainly a huge win for Iowa State.”
Porter just hopes he can help churn out some more big wins for the Cyclones as his senior season winds down. His future’s blindingly bright, but his eyes remain firmly focused on the present.
“It’s really hard to have patience,” Campbell said. “It’s really hard to not get the instant gratification of being the starter right away and to just keep pounding at your craft. Now, (he’s) a guy going to the Senior Bowl and is gonna be a top draft pick, and a guy that’s having an incredible senior year.”
