Week 1 puts a spotlight squarely on Jaylen Raynor, and Iowa State needs the new quarterback to answer it fast.
The Cyclones are entering a fresh chapter under Jimmy Rogers, and the transition has been anything but quiet. After a wild offseason and plenty of turnover, Iowa State is heading into the opener with expectations all over the map. That kind of uncertainty leaves little room for a slow start.
Rogers, who takes over after Matt Campbell, is stepping into a much bigger job himself. He’s had success, but this is a major leap, and the roster he inherited had to be rebuilt largely through the transfer portal. That’s where Raynor comes in.
Raynor is one of the biggest additions Iowa State made, and maybe the most important one. As the new face of the offense, the senior quarterback arrives with plenty on his shoulders. At this position, everything tends to run through the quarterback, and Raynor has big shoes to fill after Rocco Becht’s run in the program.
Becht gave Iowa State steady production for several years, so the shift to Raynor will take some getting used to. Still, there’s reason to think the Cyclones could get a different kind of weapon here. Raynor brings more as a runner than Becht did, and that part of his game should show up in the offense.
The bigger question is whether he can lift Iowa State into the kind of team it wants to be. Raynor has played against Power Four competition before, but the weekly grind at Iowa State is a different test than what he saw with the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
That’s why Week 1 matters so much. It’s one of the more manageable games on the schedule, and if the Cyclones are going to settle in quickly, Raynor has to be sharp right away. For Iowa State, the first game is about more than just getting started - it’s about finding out how quickly the new quarterback can take control.
In Other News...
Iowa State Just Entered A Massive New Era Off The Field
Iowa States footprint around Jack Trice Stadium and Hilton Coliseum is about to look very different. The university officially broke ground on Cy-Town, a new entertainment district that is expected to be finished by fall 2028 and is designed to create a more active year-round hub between two of the schools biggest athletic venues.
The project calls for a Marriott-branded hotel, a concert stage, bars, shops and other businesses, adding another layer to the campus experience beyond game days. At the same time, president David Cook is overseeing the search for a new athletic director after Jamie Pollard announced his retirement, leaving Iowa State to navigate a major transition on and off the field at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Loses A Promising Backcourt Piece Before He Even Debuts
Iowa States backcourt took an immediate hit before Christian Wiggins ever got the chance to play a game in Hilton Coliseum. The freshman guard will miss the entire 2026-27 season after tearing his Achilles tendon in practice, a setback that also required surgery but leaves him with his eligibility intact for the future.
T.J. Otzelberger said the procedure went well, and the focus now shifts to a long rehab process rather than any quick return. For a program that was expecting Wiggins to be part of its next wave in the backcourt, the loss is significant, even if the long-term outlook still points toward him being back the following year. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Suddenly Have A Frontcourt Concern Fans Need To Watch
The early injury watch around the 2027 NBA Draft has already started to reshape how teams and evaluators look at the coming college seasons, and it has put a few frontcourt names on the radar for all the wrong reasons. Brandon McCoy, a highly rated Michigan recruit, will miss the 2026-27 season after an ACL injury, while Illinois is dealing with uncertainty around Mirkovic after foot surgery left no return timetable in place.
For Iowa State, the note to follow is Killyan Toure, who had shoulder surgery and is expected back in January. Even without a long-term diagnosis hanging over him, any interruption matters for a player trying to establish rhythm and value in a crowded draft conversation, and it adds another layer of uncertainty for a Cyclones program that will be keeping close tabs on how these injuries ripple through next season. [Read more 🡒]