Nov 18, 2017; Waco, TX, USA; Iowa State Cyclones running back David Montgomery (32) rushes through the line against the Baylor Bears at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports
Athlon has slated 10 Iowa State players to be selected to the 2018 All-Big 12 teams, according to their projections released on Tuesday afternoon. The Cyclones have four players on the publication’s first-team with only West Virginia and Oklahoma’s five selections apiece ahead of them.
Predictably, junior running back David Montgomery headlines the Cyclones’ group of first-team selections with offensive lineman Julian Good-Jones, defensive end JaQuan Bailey and cornerback Brian Peavy also being included in the top group.
Wide receiver Hakeem Butler and linebacker Marcel Spears are both listed as second-team selections following standout redshirt sophomore seasons in 2017. Iowa State’s trio of third-teamers is led by senior quarterback Kyle Kempt with defensive tackle Ray Lima and linebacker Willie Harvey also listed.
Senior cornerback D’Andre Payne is Iowa State’s only fourth-team selection, joining Texas as one of two programs with two cornerbacks included on the teams. Iowa State and Oklahoma State are also the only two schools with two linebackers listed.
Iowa State’s 10 selections in 2018 are down one player from the 2017 projections, but that is not overly surprising when two of the 2017 players were the Cyclones’ graduated specialists. It is also worth noting Montgomery, Lima, Bailey and Peavy all appeared in last year’s projections.
With that said, the Cyclones’ four players on the first-team is double their number of first-teamers in 2017.
It is hard to put too much stock into the selections with roughly 100 days left before the Cyclones’ 2018 season kicks off against South Dakota State on Sept. 1, but it is still cool to see Iowa State gaining even more respect from national pundits following the program’s breakout 2017 season.
