AMES - Max Baloun has already lived enough college football to understand the sport’s cruelty. One injury, one bad moment, and a season can disappear.
That reality hit him last year at Washington State. Four games into what might have been his last college season, the defensive lineman suffered a knee injury against Washington and the year was done.
Almost a full year later, Baloun is back where he wants to be: on the field.
Now at Iowa State for one final season after following Jimmy Rogers, the seventh-year defensive lineman missed spring practice while working his way back from that injury. So when fall camp opened, it meant more than just another preseason checkpoint.
"The knee is good. It's been healthy for a while now," Baloun said.
"Getting back to the swing of things, shaking some rust off, but getting out there, not being able to do spring ball kind of sucks because you don't get to practice with all your teammates. So it's nice being able to practice again with all the boys."
Baloun’s path has been anything but ordinary. He started his college career at South Dakota State in 2020, developed into a steady contributor, and was part of back-to-back FCS national championship teams before earning a full-time starting job in 2024.
Through all of it, Rogers has stayed in the picture. From South Dakota State to Washington State and now to Iowa State, Baloun has kept following the coach who has been a constant through the winding ride. The Redfield, South Dakota, native’s latest stop gives him one more chance to keep that journey going.
In Other News...
Iowa State Faces A Painful Test In Life After Matt Campbell
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What makes the moment sting for Iowa State fans is the memory of what came before Campbell stabilized the program. The Cyclones spent years fighting uphill before his arrival, and the concern now is whether the next chapter could drift back toward those familiar losing records. With several strong opponents waiting in 2026, the job for the new staff is not only to compete, but to prove the programs gains were bigger than one coach. [Read more 🡒]
Isaac Terrell Is Becoming The Iowa State Tone Setter
Isaac Bobby Terrell arrived at Iowa State after a stop at Washington State, and he has since turned himself into one of the more important pieces on the Cyclones defense. The senior EDGE rusher came in as an undersized defensive lineman, but he has carved out a larger role through effort, energy and the kind of daily approach coaches love to point to when they talk about identity.
Now a team captain, Terrell has become a tone setter for a defense that expects him to be a key player this season. His work ethic and motor have helped define the way Iowa State wants to play, and his rise from overlooked body type to trusted leader says plenty about how far he has come. [Read more 🡒]
Former Cyclone Ji Hubleks Career Just Took A Full-Circle Turn
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For Cyclones fans, it is another reminder of how far Hubleks career has stretched since his time in Ames and his later professional stops in Italy. The club says it wants his experience to benefit the organization beyond the standings, which makes this move feel less like a standard signing and more like a full-circle step in a career that has kept finding new ways to matter. [Read more 🡒]