Sep 28, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; UCF Knights wide receiver Xavier Townsend (3) celebrates after scoring during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images
What’s up guys?
I was out of town for the weekend, so I postponed the column to Tuesday again.
We’ll be back on Mondays next week after the first round of CFP games and maybe something out of the first week of bowls, but let’s muse.
Iowa State’s transfer portal
Iowa State’s start to transfer portal season was exactly what anyone could ask for.
The Cyclones took in four commits during the week in positions of need, along with retaining a high majority of its returning contributors for 2025.
Wide receivers Chase Sowell and Xavier Townsend
Obviously, Iowa State is tasked with replacing two 1,000-yard wide receivers in Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel.
Interestingly, Sowell is listed at 6-foot-4, while Townsend is 5-foot-11 — just like the heights of Higgins and Noel.
Sowell came to Iowa State wanting more targets – and the ability to be a part of an offense like Higgins was for the Cyclones in 2024.
Iowa State will take anything close to that. Behind the top two wideouts, it didn’t have any consistency at the position.
With Townsend, the Cyclones pick up another slot receiver type of talent who was used in a multitude of ways at UCF. He comes in with a longtime relationship with quarterback Rocco Becht, too.
The hope is that these can be 1-to-1 replacements to an extent, but there’s a number of names in the wideout room that Iowa State will want to breakout next season. The positive is that they will all have one more year in the program.
Former UNI captain & defensive end Cannon Butler
The addition of Butler came more out of the blue than the others, but it was a necessary one for the Cyclones’ depth at the defensive end position.
Iowa State will return starters Tyler Onyedim and Ikenna Ezeogu along with redshirt sophomore Samuel Same and redshirt senior Myles Mendeszoon.
With just four players returning with experience at the spot, grabbing the UNI captain for his graduate season couldn’t hurt.
The 6-foot-6, 241-pounder will have the off-season to put on more size, and no matter what, Iowa State adds needed depth here.
Lindenwood cornerback Tre Bell
Iowa State beat out Kansas, West Virginia, Bowling Green, Kent State and Missouri State to land Bell, a lengthy cornerback.
With the loss of both Darien Porter and Myles Purchase, this can serve as another depth addition.
However, Bell has a pair of seasons remaining and can be a project going forward for the room.
The CFB off-season
I’m not going to write anything with thoughts you haven’t seen before on the timeline of college sports, but I hope that Beau Pribula’s departure inspires (or creates) some movement.
The Penn State (second-string) quarterback has seen routine snaps for the Nittany Lions this year, but announced that he would enter the portal over the weekend.
Statement from Beau Pribula re: his decision to enter the portal:
“The current NCAA postseason model creates a challenge for student-athletes. The overlapping CFB playoff & transfer portal timeline has forced me into an impossible decision.”
Similar to Maalik Murphy last year. https://t.co/d4CCs7rWVr pic.twitter.com/qFVaGgXTbh
— Matt Zenitz (@mzenitz) December 16, 2024
It’s one thing for a player to enter the portal ahead of a bowl game, but this might be the first for a regular contributor to be in it prior to a team’s College Football Playoff game.
One theory is that Pribula was offered a spot as the starter at a different program, and the risk of injury would be enough to result in such a move. Some may call that tampering, too.
But let’s be honest – tampering happens and there are more than two ways around it. Whatever the move is, it stinks for the on-field product and it stinks for the teams that are together for 12 games for guys to miss the 13th or 14th or whatever.
That’s the reason I’ll still watch bowl games, no matter how depleted the rosters look.
I can’t imagine what I’d do without a bunch of exhibition football games with mascots that want to k— toast themselves and mayo baths. But that’s what’s great about college football even with the nonsense rules, and I’ll enjoy it as long as we’ve got it.
I hope the NET system in college basketball changes soon, too. But until it does, enjoy the stress-free games the Cyclones run away with. I’ll watch them, but bowl games intrigue me far more.
