2025 Portal Activity

[cyatheart]

I appreciate all these thoughts. I think there are too many holes to plug. I would lower your expectations for portal guys.

I do hope we can get a couple linebackers. The way we play we need 8 good ones. We just ask them to do a lot and they are going to get hurt.

 

[cyatheart]

They need to take talent wherever they can find it. None of the returners are so good that they shouldn’t be trying to recruit over them. Except Big Dom, he’s a man.

I worry Dom is going to be leaving, I just don't see how we could pay him enough in what will likely be a down year anyway.

 

[cyatheart]

Because you can get players like Jayden Higgins and Jalen Travis.

We don't make the championship game without those two guys.

Yeah, there will be a few key guys, but this idea we are going to plug all the holes we have, plus the guys leaving, just isn't realistic.

 

[CoachHines3]

I appreciate all these thoughts. I think there are too many holes to plug. I would lower your expectations for portal guys.

I do hope we can get a couple linebackers. The way we play we need 8 good ones. We just ask them to do a lot and they are going to get hurt.

 

[CoachHines3]

Yeah, there will be a few key guys, but this idea we are going to plug all the holes we have, plus the guys leaving, just isn't realistic.

 

[demoncore1031]

Giggity

 

[2076]

Everything. If we can get an upgrade at every position we should. Nobody has a guaranteed starting spot.

I have calmed down now. 10 win team, with a ton to look forward to next year. We are a playoff team next season. Upgrade the back end of the defense, get a WR and we are good.

 

[cydsho]

I worry Dom is going to be leaving, I just don't see how we could pay him enough in what will likely be a down year anyway.

Go buy Dom's NIL stuff early and often.

 

[Cyforce]

Slot receiver? ISU runs 12 personnel over 50% of the time. That’s 2 WRs, 2 TEs, and RB. What good does bringing in a slot receiver do? They rarely run sets with more than two receivers. Not to mention they brought in 2 receivers last off season who never see the field. Never did understand why with the offense Campbell runs.

A slot receiver isn’t necessarily a 3rd receiver. Noel is a prototypical slot and he played in 12 personnel.

 

[cyclone87]

Go buy Dom's NIL stuff early and often.

Already picked one up for Christmas gifts along with several others.

 

[ribsnwhiskey]

This is hilarious. We just played (albeit terribly) in the conference championship. 10 wins. 1 game from the playoffs. And its ‘replace everyone’. Go touch grass you fools. And donate to We Will. If you are, donate more. If you aren’t, GTF outta here with your takes.

 

[demoncore1031]

Some names from the portal to keep an eye on who could help the team (I'll edit this once I do more research):

RB Sevion Morrison (Kansas)
RB Nate White (Wisconsin) - Could be a good replacement for Jackson. We recruited White out of HS. Pretty sure he visited ISU at least once.
WR Xavier Townsend (UCF) - Former ISU commit. Would be a perfect guy to replace Noel in the slot and as a returner. #1 on my portal wish list.
WR Damien Alford (Utah) - 6'6" guy who missed the season with an injury.
WR Luke Wysong (New Mexico) - This kid is damn good. Reminds me a lot of Josh Lenz.
WR Caleb Medford (New Mexico) - 6'2" athletic guy with some hops. Really good redzone target. Started career at TCU.
WR Trech Kekahuna (Wisconsin) - Slot WR. 25 catches this year.
OT Ryder Langsdale (Lafayette) - This kid is really really good. Only played 2 years at LT after switching over from defense.
OG Hunter Zambrano (Illinois State) - Another solid o-lineman from a small school that has played really well.
C/G Raheem Anderson (Michigan) - We recruited him hard out of high school.
LB Phoenix Jackson (Fresno State) - Pretty decent LB with experience. My younger son's name is Phoenix so I kinda want this kid to come to ISU.
EDGE Princewill Umanmielen (Nebraska) - Hasn't done much in his 2 years at Nebraska but he is very athletic and quick. His brother has over 10 sacks this year for Ole Miss.
EDGE Nate Johnson (Appalachian State) - 7.5 sacks as a freshman. Only 2.5 sacks this year.
EDGE Clev Lubin (Coastal Carolina) - 9.5 sacks this season.
EDGE DJ Warner (Kansas)
DB John Randle Jr. (Utah) - We recruited him as a running back when he was in HS. Moved to DB this year as a redshirt freshman. Former 4 star.
CB Karon Prunty (North Carolina A&T) - Great freshman year at Kansas and then transferred to NC A&T, where he has started for the last 3 years.
CB Amare Snowden (Wisconsin) - 6'4" corner who saw limited action as a freshman this year.
CB Tony Grimes (UNLV) - Pretty solid coverage guy.
S Caleb Wisniewski (North Dakota State) - All-American FCS safety with Malik Verdon size. #2 on my portal wish list.
S Noah Avinger (New Mexico) - Tackle leader for the Lobos this year.
DB Boogsie Silvera (McNeese State) - Quality DB with a funny name.


And here are some guys in the portal that I am adding just for a goof:

S Willie Nelson (Oklahoma State) - Great name!
OT Gunnar Hansen (Vanderbilt) - I have no idea if this kid is good, but... I'm a huge fan of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
QB Cade McNamara (Iowa) - Hahaha!... HAHAHAHAHA!!!!
RB Eli Sanders (New Mexico) - Kidding. There's no way he is coming back to Ames.
QB Devon Dampier (New Mexico) - Would love to see him come to ISU as a running back, but I can't see him wanting to go somewhere and change positions.

 

[superiorcyclone]

RB, WR, OL, LB, DB, DL..only kind of kidding. If the LB group is healthy, it's probably different but we'll have holes everywhere. The nice thing is, we played a lot of bodies this year. Hopefully that will make some of them easier to fill.

LB, RB, TE, WR

 

[cyhobby]

Someone mentioned Sama is our highest paid player. If this is true he needs to hit the portal or take a much lower deal. He was really average to bad all year.

If true, that is bad. Them guy is not a FCS RB.

 

[Dopey]

Hansen had been nursing an injury most of the season. I think that led to managing his carries.

Has this been explicitly reported on? I recall Williams speculating, but it sounded more like him looking for a justification to this bizarre rotation.

 

[stewart092284]

The reality for us is that we are not likely to be huge portal players. One, because all the larger universities and deeper pockets will take most of the best players.

For the most part, the way we have done the portal has worked out really well. Taken a few (3-4) guys or so a year. I don't think that will change because we are not at the tippy top of NIL and you also have to pay your players while bringing in new ones. I'd rather pay Big Citrus and Cooper more and keep them rather than bring in a guy who may or may not end up being a hit.

If it were me I'd take


1-2 linebackers
1-2 wide receivers
and a safety.


If the money was there, then an OL or DL.

 

[CYCLNST8]

I don’t know how anyone could think Campbell is gonna go wild in the portal. We pursue less than anyone. Because:

A) we can’t afford it
B) Campbell prefers to develop talent

Everyone giving Sama such a hard time needs to remember he’s just a sophomore. He has elite speed. I’d prefer to keep him around and see if he can improve.

That being said, we will of course be opportunistic with the players that are available, but they’re going to continue to come from places like Princeton & Eastern Michigan.

 

[Cyinthenorth]

WR for sure. Never hurts to add bodies on either sides of the trench. Safety and DB. I would say LB, but aside from yesterday's debacle, I think they had been improving down the stretch. Sadowsky and Ellis had come along decently, and Mclaughlin was getting back up to speed. IDK how I feel about the group heading into next year, but so many guys got reps this year that I feel as though they can't be worse next season

 

[Cyinthenorth]

D line team had like 15 sacks on the year.
Also O-lines from opposition are getting to our linebackers to easily

This. I'd rather see a scheme change away from the 3 man front than take a chance on a bunch of new guys to keep doing what we've been doing. For being all about players formations plays, I feel like continuing to roll out 3-4 linebackers each game after absorbing all the attrition to that position kind of was anti-dogmatic of Campbell

 

[TheJackWePack5]

I don’t know how anyone could think Campbell is gonna go wild in the portal. We pursue less than anyone. Because:

A) we can’t afford it
B) Campbell prefers to develop talent

Everyone giving Sama such a hard time needs to remember he’s just a sophomore. He has elite speed. I’d prefer to keep him around and see if he can improve.

That being said, we will of course be opportunistic with the players that are available, but they’re going to continue to come from places like Princeton & Eastern Michigan.

This is the truth.

It helps with player retention (which obviously is huge for a program like us), but basically means we’re not getting much for plug and play guys who are all conference caliber. Obviously we have done well with small school transfers like Higgins & Travis.

Just sucks (and is harsh reality) that the fans, who in 4 days notice paid and traveled in droves to Dallas (and are the same fans expected to travel to SA or Miami for a bowl), are the same fans expected to foot the bill for NIL and the players.

Yes I donate and try to travel to watch the cyclones as much as possible, but it is highly irritating and yesterdays result certainly did not help my mindset.

One of us die hards needs to win the lottery.