Thoughts on next year?

[demoncore1031]

Former Cyclone Aiden Bouman doing well at SD.

He graduates, but could use his covid year. They had the FCS defensive player of the year but he entered the portal. A few of their best players graduate as well. Quaron Adams averaged over 30 yards per touch so he's a guy we have to contain.

 

[1SEIACLONE]

It will be interesting seeing how many schools actually fund all 105 scholarships, EIU has already said they will be staying at 85 on scholarship next season, because adding 20 more for football would require them to add 20 more for women's sports and they cannot afford it. Lot of players that were walking on and not getting money will be looking for schools after the season. Since you cannot have more than 105 in the program.

 

[Erik4Cy]

Is Matt Campbell coaching in Ames again next year? Then yeah...

7-11 wins totally possible yet again next season. Fun times.

 

[cayin]

No. No limit on scholarship up to the max roster size (105)

so if you hand out 105 scholarships, that means you can't take any walk ons right?

 

[stewart092284]

I believe that to be correct

 

[StPaulCyclone]

With the portal and additions we are making, I suspect we are going to, at minimum, tweak the 335 to line one of our bigger LBs on the line standing up. Just seems we are going that way.

We’ve done it with Vance and Bacon. We shown different looks.

 

[StPaulCyclone]

There’s a combination………

Hoping for some good fakes!

 

[nrg4isu]

so if you hand out 105 scholarships, that means you can't take any walk ons right?

Walk-ons are a thing of the past for programs that can afford to hand out 105 scholarships.

 

[hoosman]

I remember McCarney rotating players in the offseason. TE to OT. OL to DL. DB to LB. RB to WR . WR to DB. Seems like that never happens anymore , today’s misfits will transfer.

 

[CyValley2]

Replacing Klotz, Nebraska was always able to bring in traditional fullbacks as walk ons. I’m not suggesting we do the same but there seems to be a lot of guys in hs that really don’t warrant a scholarship at a D1 program that fit this spot in our offense well.

If he can gain health and stay healthy, I'm putting my money on Tyler Moore. He was listed most of the season, iirc, behind Stevo. Here's hoping he has a productive and satisfying senior year.

 

[CyValley2]

Along with replacing the guys that left we really need to improve at LB. Need guys to be healthy but also really need a couple to make a big step forward.

So many of them are so young, I don't think I'm out of line thinking improvement is at hand. We'll see.

 

[Cyforce]

If he can gain health and stay healthy, I'm putting my money on Tyler Moore. He was listed most of the season, iirc, behind Stevo. Here's hoping he has a productive and satisfying senior year.

I honestly didn’t know Klotz was 6’4. I think ideally we leave our best TEs at TE. My point was there’s a ton of kids in Iowa that are really good football players that don’t have the measurables you look for in a D1 TE but they are perfect for this role.

 

[CyValley2]

Oh we do, but the idea you can just have a walk on do it to me kinda insults everything Stevo meant to the team. Moore, in theory, could potentially step into a similar role but that's a hard job.

You wanna give up 50 pounds to a Power 4 conference defensive end 30-40 times a game? Ain't a lot of dudes lining up for that job who are going to do it as selfishly as he has done it

Moore is the same size as Klotz. Indirectly, I know a little bit about Tyler the young man. Big, stong, athletic. High character. A worker. We'll see.

 

[CyValley2]

Losing Bacon probably changed our defense significantly. I think the staff planned to use him as a stand up linebacker on run downs and as a rush end on pass downs. I think this was the four down lineman talk in the preseason. When he got hurt and other linebackers were also hurt, we became very limited in our options. I think we stick with the 3 man front next fall, but the next generation of the defense is to use Bacon and others off the edge in passing situations. Time will tell.

IIRC, in 2023 Bacon at times: 1) at linebacker popped around to confuse blocking and blitzed with great effect; 2) at times he put a hand down and was strong on the edge.

Having Bacon back, and adding the UNI DE kid, who I thought looked fast, could add power to the edge. Fair? Or, am I dreaming? Both of them are big kids.

 

[BCClone]

IIRC, in 2023 Bacon at times: 1) at linebacker popped around to confuse blocking and blitzed with great effect; 2) at times he put a hand down and was strong on the edge.

Having Bacon back, and adding the UNI DE kid, who I thought looked fast, could add power to the edge. Fair? Or, am I dreaming? Both of them are big kids.

Bacon was our best blitzer. Good motor. Didn’t set the edge very well though. A lot of his tackles on run plays were from behind so he doesn’t quit but also doesn’t fill the hole real well.

 

[CyValley2]

Do you really believe this? ISU has some nice RB's and a couple of decent WR's but on paper there is not a home run threat there. Deep, yes, dynamic, not so sure. They could improve and prove me wrong (hope so). Also surprised by ISU's last few recruiting classes we've had some momentum, but it hasn't translated to recruiting success. ISU's 2025 class is ranked in the bottom 4 of the Big 12 (60 something nationally). That has to change.

I disagree because of our annual recruiting rankings, our program has risen. We still have a pretty damn young team looking at 2025. Over the last 2-3 years, our recruiting, regardless of rankings, has successfully boosted our athletic quality (not to put Ben Bruns on the line, but. . . .)

So, let's see what our 2025 recruits will do. I'll be damned if I sell them short before they have a chance to prove who they are. If they are gritty, tough, smart kids like we've enjoyed in previous classes, I'm all in.

 

[bozclone]

Bacon was our best blitzer. Good motor. Didn’t set the edge very well though. A lot of his tackles on run plays were from behind so he doesn’t quit but also doesn’t fill the hole real well.

I actually thought Bacon was our best middle linebacker in meeting the back in the offensive background. Very aggressive in the hole.

 

[BCClone]

I actually thought Bacon was our best middle linebacker in meeting the back in the offensive background. Very aggressive in the hole.

He is our best backer (maybe Brezina has him but we haven’t had a good enough look at him) but it’s our weak link. Sadowsky was our middle backer most of last year, bacon was an outsider. This year he was moved to inside.

 

[jburke]

Have to find a way to replace:

2 starting receivers - Jackson, Green, Alston, Brown and relying on the tight ends more
Left tackle - James Neal has played it before so we'll see
Center - Jim Bonifas much like Neal
TE (Klotz) - Tyler Moore has really stepped up this year

Both DE - Ike, Myles, Carnell, and maybe a transfer compete
Corner - Not super sure as Purchase was backing up Porter is also gone (slightly concerned)
MS - Surges and Smith can compete
BS - James really stepped it up some games, has some work to do

10 starter level guys to replace but we have guys have have been there before

Don’t forget the portal guys at WR, pretty big potential at that position imo.

 

[isucy86]

I honestly didn’t know Klotz was 6’4. I think ideally we leave our best TEs at TE. My point was there’s a ton of kids in Iowa that are really good football players that don’t have the measurables you look for in a D1 TE but they are perfect for this role.

We might have those guys on the roster

• Easton Miller 6'1" 230lbs Ankeny RS-Frosh
• AJ Peterson 6'1" 235lbs Long Grove RS-Frosh
• Charlie Whelpley 6'2" 220lbs Batavia, IL Frosh

Plus there are 10 guys in the TE room. I think we can find blocking FB or HB. Heck if James Neal doesn't end up being a starting OL, there's a JUMBO blocker.