Jaylen Raynor Brings Familiarity and Leadership to a Rebuilding Iowa State Offense
AMES - When a new coaching staff steps into a college football program, growing pains are expected. Systems change, terminology evolves, and relationships have to be built from the ground up. But inside Iowa State’s locker room, there’s already a head start at the most important position on the field.
Quarterback Jaylen Raynor and new Cyclones quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf don’t need introductions. They’ve been through the battles together.
Three years of experience as a tandem at Arkansas State have built a level of trust and communication that most programs spend years trying to develop. And now, that continuity is giving Iowa State’s offense a much-needed boost as it enters a new era.
Raynor, a three-year starter for the Red Wolves, followed Heckendorf to Ames and is already making an impression far beyond the stat sheet. His leadership is showing up in ways that speak volumes about his investment in the program and his teammates.
“I was telling some guys earlier that one of the challenges when you come into a new place is learning people’s names,” Heckendorf said. “And he got up in front of the team the other day and rattled off every player's name - our entire roster. And he might be the only one in the building who can probably do that.”
That’s not just a fun anecdote - that’s a quarterback setting the tone. In a room full of new faces, Raynor is already establishing himself as someone who not only knows the playbook but knows the people. That kind of buy-in matters, especially when you’re trying to build something from the ground up.
While Iowa State’s defense returns with more continuity - familiar coaches, familiar schemes - the offense is essentially starting from scratch. But the early signs suggest that the transition is moving quickly in the right direction.
On Wednesday morning, the Cyclones formally introduced their new offensive coaching staff inside the Stark Performance Center. Offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl is back in Ames, this time with the keys to the offense. He’s joined by Heckendorf, running backs coach John Johnson, wide receivers coach Derrick Sherman, tight ends coach Seth Hestness, and offensive line coach Jake Thornton.
It’s a fresh group, but the message was consistent across the board. Each coach spoke with local media for the first time, and while their backgrounds and accents varied - Thornton’s Southern drawl stood out - their vision for the offense was aligned.
That kind of cohesion among a new staff doesn’t happen by accident. And when you pair that with a quarterback who already understands the system and the coach behind it, you’ve got a foundation worth building on.
Raynor’s presence gives Iowa State something rare in a transition year: stability under center. His familiarity with Heckendorf’s system, his leadership in the locker room, and his experience on the field could be the glue that holds this offense together as it finds its identity.
There’s still a long road ahead, and plenty of questions to answer before the Cyclones take the field this fall. But in a program where much is new, Jaylen Raynor isn’t just a transfer quarterback - he’s a bridge between what was and what’s next. And that could make all the difference.