CycloneFanatic is your one-stop spot to find all of the happenings in the transfer portal this offseason.
Below, you’ll find departures, additions, and offers that have been publicized for this year’s cycle.
Additions:
DB | Malcolm Jones – Iowa State earned a commitment from Jacksonville State safety Malcolm Jones. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound junior tallied 55 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, and two forced fumbles in 2025 for the Gamecocks.
WR | Jordyn Bailey – TCU wide receiver Jordyn Bailey commits to Iowa State. In three years as a Horned Frog, the 5’10 product had 18 catches for 191 yards and three touchdowns. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
DL | Kaleb Bilal-Jones – Arizona defensive lineman Kaleb Bilal-Jones commits to Iowa State. As a high school prospect in the class of 2025, he was a three-star with offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon and Oregon State. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
S | Micah Harper – Montana safety Micah Harper commits to Iowa State.The 5’10, 195 pound senior played in all 15 game this season, with 44 tackles, 7 pass breakups, and 2 interceptions. Harper played at BYU for four years prior to Montana. He was one of the highest graded defensive backs in the FCS. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
DB | Tyrone Cotton III – Iowa State earned a commitment from Washington State CB transfer Tyrone Cotton III, who spent a redshirt season in Pullman & will follow head coach Jimmy Rogers to Ames. Cotton III has four seasons of eligibility remaining.
DL | Jareb Ramos – Montana defensive linemen Jareb Ramos has committed to Iowa State after visiting them over the weekend. The 6-foot-4, 283-pound junior had 52 total tackles, 2.5 TFLs, 2 sacks, 2 PBUs, 2 FFs, and a blocked kick in 33 career games played for the Grizzlies the past three seasons.
TE | Jordon Vyborny – Oklahoma State tight end Jordan Vyborny commits to Iowa State. The 6’5, 240-pound tight end redshirted as a freshman in 2025, bringing four years of eligibility to Ames. Vyborny was rated as the No. 14 tight end nationally in the Class of 2025.
RB | Cameron Pettaway – Bowling Green running back Cameron Pettaway commits to Iowa State. The MAC Freshman of the Year rushed for 365 yards and had 900 all-purpose yards in 2025. The 5’10, 175-pound back brings three years of eligibility to Ames.
TE | Christian Greenlaw – Hampton tight end Christian Greenlaw tells CF that he has committed to Iowa State. The 6’5 tight end had 14 catches for 122 yards and a touchdown last season. He will have two years of eligibility with the Cyclones.
RB | Salahadin Allah – Oregon State running back Salahadin Allah commits to Iowa State. Allah had 74 attempts for 329 yards and one touchdown over the past two seasons for the Beavers. He has two years of eligibility remaining.
DB | Seth Johnson – Montana State defensive back Seth Johnson committed to Iowa State Saturday night. The 5-foot-10, 161-pound freshman recorded 28 tackles, forced a fumble, and had four pass breakups. The FCS National Champion has three years of eligibility remaining.
QB | Zane Flores – Oklahoma State quarterback Zane Flores committed to the Cyclones Friday night. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound freshman threw for 1,454 yards and 3 TDs this season. He also started 8 games for the Cowboys this season. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
DE | Blake Hawkins – Iowa Western defensive end Blake Hawkins commits to Iowa State. The 6’4, 240-pound EDGE recorded 13 sacks and 23.5 TFL as a redshirt freshman for the Reivers in 2025. The JUCO product from Gretna, NE has three years of eligibility remaining.
WR | Evan Boyd – Michigan State wide receiver Evan Boyd commits to Iowa State. Boyd played in all 12 games as a redshirt sophomore, finishing the year with 3 catches for 54 yards. The 6’3, 208-pound receiver has two years of eligibility remaining.
DE | Issac “Bobby” Terrell – Jimmy Rogers and his staff have already put a lot of effort into filling out the defensive line; they get their prize in a commitment from Washington State defensive end Isaac “Bobby” Terrell. The 6’2, 247-pound edge rusher led the Cougars in sacks (7) and TFL (12) as a junior in 25. Terrell also tacked on 28 tackles.
DL | Jack Janikowski – Iowa State lands Washington State defensive lineman Jack Janikowski. As a redshirt sophomore in 2025, Janikowski played in all 13 games while recording 10 tackles, 3 TFL and a sack. The 6’2, 242 pound product has two years of eligibility remaining.
DE | Malaki Ta’ase – Iowa State earns a commitment from Washington State EDGE Malaki Ta’ase. The 6-foot-2, 265-pound sophomore tallied 17 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and one forced fumble this season. He will have two years of eligibility remaining.
DL | Bryson Lamb – Iowa State earns a commitment from Washington State defensive lineman Bryson Lamb. As a redshirt junior in 2025, Lamb started 12 games while recording 25 games, 3.5 TFL and 1.5 sacks. The Washington native will spend his final season in Ames.
DL | Caden Crawford – Iowa State earns a commitment from South Dakota DL Caden Crawford. The 6’4, 265 pound edge rusher had 78 tackles, 27 solo, 10.5 TFL, & 5.5 sacks this Season For The Coyotes. Prior to his one year at South Dakota, Crawford spent three years at Iowa. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
OL | Caden Maas – Sioux Falls offensive lineman Caden Maas becomes the latest man up front to commit to Iowa State. The 6’5, 305 pound tackle has started 22 games over the last seasons for the Cougars. He comes to Ames with two years of eligibility remaining.
C | Cade Myer – Colorado School of the Mines OL Cade Myer is a Cyclone The 6’2, 305 grad transfer is a two-time All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference player. Myer played guard at the Mines but tells Cyclone Fanatic he will play center under Coach Thornton.
OL | Gavin Broscious – Michigan State offensive lineman Gavin Broscious is a Cyclone. The 6’4, 308 pound lineman played all 12 games in 2025 for the Spartans, starting four at left guard. Brouscious will have two years of eligibility remaining.
S | Brody Miller – Washington State safety Brody Miller is transferring to Iowa State. Miller redshirted as a freshman in 2025, appearing in five games. The 6’1, 178 pounder was the No. 24 overall prospect out of Minnesota in the Class of 2024.
K | Adlai Lounsbury – Washington State kicker Adlai Lounsbury commits to Iowa State The Van Meter native didn’t appear in a game in 2025, bringing four years of eligibility to Iowa State. He’s a lifelong Cyclone fan making a return home. Bill Seals of Rivals reports that he’ll be a preferred walk-on.
S | Braden Awls – Toledo safety Braden Awls is following his defensive coordinator Ross Watson to Ames. As a junior in 2025, Awls had five interceptions and 52 tackles, making him one of the most sought after safeties in the portal. The 6’0 safety visited Indiana before committing to Iowa State, hear why Awls chose Iowa State in an exclusive interview with CF. Awls will have one year of eligibility remaining.
OL | Braden Smith – Tarleton State offensive lineman Braden Smith becomes thte latest man up front to transfer to Iowa State. The 6’4, 290 pound product was named a FCS All-American as a redshirt freshman in 2025. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
WR | Carter Pabst – Iowa State lands Washington State wide receiver Carter Pabst. The 6’1, 194 WR from Wichita had 168 yards as a true freshman in 2025. Pabst has three years of eligibility remaining.
OL | Colin Amick – FCS Freshman All-American Colin Amick commits to Iowa State. The Montana tackle started seven games as a redshirt freshman in 2025. The 6’6, 292 pound allowed a pressure rate of 2.5%, the third best by a tackle in the Big Sky. Amick has three years of eligibility remaining.
LB | Sullivan Schlimgen – Washington State linebacker Sullivan Schlimgen commits to Iowa State. He played all 13 games as a true freshman in 2025, starting the final five of the season. The 6’1, 210 pound Sioux Falls native recorded 49 tackles and 1.5 TFL under Jimmy Rogers and Jesse Bobbit. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
WR | Omari Hayes – Iowa State earns a commitment from Tulane WR Omari Hayes. The 5-foot-9, 170-pound sophomore caught 39 passes for 515 yards and one touchdown for a Green Wave team that played in the College Football Playoff this season. Hayes has two years of eligibility remaining.
OL | Jake Taylor Iowa State lands Oklahoma offensive lineman Jake Taylor. The 6’6 lineman battled injuries throughout his time in Norman but started four games while healthy in 2024. The former four-star recruit comes to Ames with one year of eligibility remaining.
WR| Trevor Fortenberry – JUCO wide receiver Trevor Forenberry commits to Iowa State. The 6’3 receiver from Copiah-Lincoln CC had 136 yards in 2025 and will have two years of eligibility remaining.
DL | Max Baloun – Iowa State gets a commitment from Washington State DL Max Baloun. The 6-foot-6, 285-pound senior had his senior season cut short due to injury after only playing in the first four games of the season. Baloun tallied four tackles and one sack in those four games. He will use a medical redshirt this upcoming year and has one season of eligibility remaining.
S | Duhron Goodman – The Cyclones get their third secondary commitment out of Washington State in safety Duhron Goodman. The 6-foot-0, 185-pound safety played in nine games for the cougars this season tallying eight tackles. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
OL | Trevor Bindel – Iowa State gets another commitment out of the portal in Washington State OL Trevor Bindel. The 6-foot-5, 300-pound linemen saw limited action this season but was a high three-star recruit in high school. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
DL | Donovan Fitzmaurice – Iowa State earned a commitment from Washington State DT Donovan Fitzmaurice. The 6-foot-3, 283-pound freshman tallied 11 tackles and one sack in his rookie season with the Cougars. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
S | Damarius Russell – Iowa State gets its second Washington State transfer in safety Damarius Russell, per CBS Sports. The 5-foot-11, 183-pound safety played meaningful snaps toward the end of the season as a true freshman for the Cougars. He has three years of eligibility remaining.
CB | Trillion Sorrell – Iowa State gets their first transfer from Washington State with the commitment of Trillion Sorrell. Sorrell kept his redshirt as a true freshman in 2025 while appearing in five games, recording four tackles and a pass break up. The 6-foot-1 cornerback has four years of eligibility.
TE | Tyler Fortenberry – Iowa State lands Arkansas State tight end Tyler Fortenberry, per CBS Sports. In 2025, Fortenberry caught 32 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns from Jaylen Raynor. The 6’5 tight end will have one year of eligibility remaining.
OL | DeAndre Carter – Auburn offensive lineman DeAndre Carter commits to Iowa State on Jan. 5. Carter played in every game as a redshirt freshman in 2025 under ISU OL coach Jake Thornton. The 6’4, 345 pounder was a four-star recruit and a high school All-American in 2024. Carter will have three years of eligibility in Ames.
CB | Willie Breland – Iowa State earns a commitment from JUCO cornerback Willie Breland on Jan. 5. The three-star JUCO prospect comes from Mississippi Gulf Coast College where he had 35 tackles, two TFL, a sack and an interception in 2025. The 6’2 defensive back was previously committed to Washington State. Breland will have two years of eligibility remaining.
WR | Cody Jackson – Tarleton State wide receiver Cody Jackson commits to Iowa State on Jan. 4. Jackson posted 82 receptions for 1,300 yards and 14 touchdowns the past two seasons. Prior to his time at Tarleton State, Jackson was a four-star recruit out of high school and spent one season at Oklahoma and Houston.
CB | Keyon Washington – Bowling Green cornerback Keyon Washington commits to Iowa State on Jan. 4. As a redshirt freshman in 2025, Washington had 37 tackles, two TFL, a sack, and three pass breakups. The 6’1, 188-pound CB has three years of eligibility remaining.
LB | Montreze Smith Jr. – Iowa State lands a commitment from Austin Peay linebacker Montreze Smith on Jan. 4. As a redshirt freshman in 2025, Smith had 74 tackles, 8.5 TFL, four sacks and three interceptions. With a redshirt year at Duke in 2024, he has three years of eligibility remaining.
OL | Maasai King – Iowa State lands a commitment from Akron offensive tackle Maasai King on Jan. 4. The 6’4, 310 pound tackle was rated as a top five OT in the MAC by PFSN in 2025. King was set to visit Oklahoma on Monday but didn’t leave Ames without a commitment. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
QB | Jaylen Raynor – Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor will be transferring to Iowa State for his final year of eligibility. In 2025, Raynor threw for 3,361 yards at a 66.5% clip with 19 touchdowns to 11 interceptions. Raynor also ran for 423 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground this season while leading the Red Wolves to a 7-6 record. His offensive coordinator, Keith Heckendorf is Iowa State’s new quarterbacks coach. Raynor committed on Jan. 3.
OL | Gavin Proudfoot – Northern Iowa 6’7, 300 pound offensive tackle Gavin Proudfoot commits to Iowa State on Jan. 3. The UNI transfer has one year of eligiblity remaining.
LB | Tristan Exline – Texas Permian Basin linebacker commits to Iowa State on Jan. 3. Exline was a D-II All-American and a two-time Lone Star Conference Linebacker of the Year at Texas-Permian basin. As a junior in 2025, Exline had 143 tackles, 19.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks, and an interception.
LS | Caleb Schmidt – Minot State transfer comes in with two years of eligibility.
Confirmed Returners:
OL | Garret Rutledge
RB | Ryver Peppers
CB | David Coffey
S | Caden Matson
S | Drew Surges
RB | Jayden Jackson
CB | Beni Ngoyi
DL | Trey Verdon
DL | Zaimir Hawk
DL | Jace T. Gilbert
OL | Austin Barrett
LB | Beau Goodwin
DL | Jack Limbaugh
LB | Rylan Barnes
RB/PR/KR | Aiden Flora
LB | Carson Willich
PK | Kyle Konrardy
WR | Dominic Overby
QB | Connor Moberly
TE | Keaton Roskop
Departures:
TE | Cooper Alexander – Committed to Penn State. The former highly-touted recruit had five catches for 47 yards in his first season of action at Iowa State. He’ll have three years of eligibility remaining.
TE | Tripp Walsh – Committed to New Mexico. Walsh had one catch for 11 yards in 2025.
LB | Nick Reinicke – Committed to Western Illinois.
RB | Abu Sama III – Committed to Wisconsin. In three years as a Cyclone, Sama ran for 1,933 yards and 13 touchdowns. The Southeast Polk product was Iowa State’s second-leading rusher in 2025, behind Carson Hansen.
LB | Will Hawthorne – Committed to Nebraska. The Gilbert High School graduate was a four-star recruit in the Class of 2025.
WR | Dyllan Malone – Freshman wide receiver Dyllan Malone announces he will enter the transfer portal. Malone did not see game action for the Cyclones and redshirted during the 2025 season. The Illinois native joined Iowa State as a three-star wide receiver and a top-50 player in Illinois by 247Sports and On3.
OL | Kuol Kuol – Committed to Penn State. He was a four-star recruit in the class of 2025 by 247Sports.
DB | Carson Van Dinter – Committed to Wisconsin. He posted 18 tackles and a pass deflection this season.
RB | Dylan Lee – Committed to UCLA. He ran for 152 yards and two touchdowns in two seasons as a Cyclone.
WR | Chase Sowell – Committed to Penn State. In his one year as a Cyclone, Sowell had 500 yards receiving and two touchdowns after transferring in from East Carolina.
DB | Hunter Sowell – Committed to Penn State. The younger brother of Chase Sowell has four years of eligibility remaining.
DL | Alijah Carnell – Committed to Penn State. In 2025, Carnell recorded six tackles and 0.5 sacks.
WR | Carson Brown – Iowa State wide receiver Carson Brown is entering the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining. The Iowa native had 18 career catches for 224 yards and 1 TD.
OL | Trevor Buhr – Committed to Penn State. Buhr started at left guard for the Cyclones in Big 12 play. He’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.
LB | Cael Brezina – Committed to Penn State. Brezina battled injuries throughout his first two years, finishing 2025 strong with 29 tackles.
LB | Samuel Same – Committed to South Dakota.
LB | Kooper Ebel – Committed to Penn State. The Iowa native was the second leading tackler for the Cyclones this season.
DB | Marcus Neal – Committed to Penn State. Neal was Iowa State’s leading tackler this season. He took a big jump as a sophomore and will continue his career elsewhere.
DL | Ikenna Ezeogu – Committed to Penn State. Ezeogu was a two-year starter for the Cyclones.
DB | Jamison Patton – Committed to Penn State. The Iowa native was a three-year starter for the Cyclones at safety.
QB | Alex Manske – Committed to Penn State. The Algona native was a four-star recruit in the class of 2025 and saw limited action as a backup this season.
CB | Tre Bell – Committed to Michigan State. The Lindenwood transfer had two interceptions, a forced fumble, and 33 tackles while stepping up in place of Jeremiah Cooper and Jontez Williams. Bell has one year of eligibility remaining.
S | Ta’Shawn James – Committed to UCLA. James had 33 tackles and five passes defended while battling injuries in 2025.
OL | Brendan Black – Committed to Nebraska. Black was a three-year starter at guard for the Cyclones.
WR | Michael Parkes – Iowa State wide receiver Michael Parkes is entering the transfer portal with four years of eligibility remaining.
LB | John Klosterman – Committed to Penn State. Klosterman tallied five tackles this past season.
PK | Jace Gilbert – Iowa State kicker Jace Gilbert is entering the transfer portal. Gilbert was Iowa State’s backup punter and kickoff specialist the past two years.
OL | Vaea Ikakoula – Committed to Penn State. Ikakoula played a lot of snaps at the end of the season. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
TE | Benjamin Brahmer – Committed to Penn State. Brahmer was Iowa State’s third leading receiver with 446 yards and six touchdowns.
LB | Caleb Bacon – Committed to Penn State. The former walk-on played all four years at Iowa State. He tallied 68 tackles and three sacks this past season.
TE – Gabe Burkle – Committed to Penn State. The captain totaled 598 yards and two touchdowns in 2024 and 2025. Burkle has one year of eligibility remaining after he recovers from a knee injury.
LS | Drew Clausen – Committed to Indiana. Clausen was a two-year starter at Iowa State after transferring from UNI.
OL | Will Thompkins – Committed to Penn State. The 6’5 product from Cedar Falls was a four-star recruit in the class of 2025. He has four years of eligibility remaining.
RB | Carson Hansen – Committed to Penn State. Hansen has led the team in rushing yards and touchdowns each of the last two seasons, finishing 2025 with 952 yards and six touchdowns.
OL | Deylin Hasert – Committed to Georgia State.
WR | Brett Eskildsen – Committed to Penn State. He led Iowa State in receiving in 2025 with 536 yards and five touchdowns.
WR | Xavier Townsend – Committed to Purdue. In 2025, he had 243 yards receiving and ran for one touchdown.
DB | Cam Smith – Iowa State defensive back Cam Smith is entering the transfer portal with one year of eligibility remaining.
DB | Mason Ellens – Iowa State defensive back Mason Ellens is entering the transfer portal with four years of eligibility left.
LB | Danny Inglis – Iowa State linebacker Danny Inglis will be entering the transfer portal with 3 years of eligibility left.
DB | Jeremiah Cooper – Committed to Penn State. Cooper was a four-year starter and a first-team All-Big 12 performer in 2023. He had 8 career interceptions and 29 passes defended.
WR | Daniel Jackson – Iowa State wide receiver Daniel Jackson will enter the transfer portal for his final collegiate season. Jackson has been at Iowa State since the 2020 season, but has battled injuries throughout his Iowa State career.
DB | Jontez Williams – Committed to USC. Williams was a lockdown corner for the Cyclones, being one of the highest graded corners in the country for Pro Football Focus. He has one year of eligibility remaining.
QB | Rocco Becht – Committed to Penn State. Becht’s 26 career wins as a starter will be the most of any quarterback in college football in 2026. His 9,274 passing yards, 64 touchdown passes, and 83 total touchdowns will all be Top 5 in college football next year.
S | Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman – Committed to Kansas. Cummings-Coleman recorded nine tackles in Iowa State’s first four games before suffering a season-ending injury in his fifth game of action against Arizona on Sept. 27.
CB | Quentin Taylor Jr. – Committed to Mississippi State. The 6-foot-0, 205-pound Taylor had 27 tackles and 5 PBU as a redshirt freshman this season.
WR | Zay Robinson – Committed to Penn State. The freshman from Valley appeared in a few games in 2025 and maintained a redshirt.
WR | Karon Brookins – Committed to Penn State.
S | Josh Patterson – Committed to Wake Forest. He recorded four tackles, an interception, and a pass defended in four games to maintain four years of eligibility.
