Iowa State’s 2026 offense is heading into camp with some real moving parts, and the wide receiver room is right at the center of it.
The Cyclones are working through a new-look group at receiver while also preparing to break in a new quarterback. Jaylen Raynor is expected to be the starter, and Iowa State is banking on the three-year Arkansas Red Wolves starter to bring consistency, dual-threat ability, and leadership to the huddle.
But the bigger swing for this offense may come from the pass-catching group around him. The Cyclones have added Omari Hayes from the Tulane Green Wave, Cody Jackson from the Tarleton State Texans, Evan Boyd from the Michigan State Spartans, Carter Pabst from the Washington State Cougars, and Jordyn Bailey from the TCU Horned Frogs. Dominic Overby is back, and a group of freshmen is also in the mix for snaps.
Head coach Jimmy Rogers recently broke down what he’s seeing from the room, and he sounded encouraged by the way the group is coming together.
“Wide receiver wise, it’s kind of a good rotation there between Boyd, Pabst, Jackson, that room is growing in depth, because what they lack in certain areas they make up for in consistency inside their play and they and they run the routes at the right time which has made it easier for the quarterbacks to get the ball out on rhythm and on time which I think is the hardest thing to do in college football. There’s a lot of times where you watch things defensively and you see so many broken plays and you wonder if it’s a new play but later you realize the receiver ran the wrong route.
But they're super talented and just don’t know where they’re going. Yeah, the wide receivers have done great.”
That kind of trust matters, especially with a quarterback-room change already in place. If the receivers are where they’re supposed to be and timing stays clean, it gives Raynor a much better chance to settle in quickly.
There’s also plenty of variety in the group. Some bring physicality, some bring route-running polish, some bring football IQ. That mix gives Iowa State options, and it should matter once Big 12 play starts to stretch the roster in different directions.
The Cyclones still have a few weeks of fall camp before their season opener on Sept. 5th against the SEMO Redhawks, and the receiver room has time to keep sharpening the details. If Rogers’ early read is any indication, this group has a chance to be one of the more reliable pieces on the roster when the games start counting.
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