Iowa State is making a real run at one of the top junior college defensive backs in the country, and the Cyclones now look like the team to beat for Jontavius Wyman.
Wyman, who plays cornerback at Scooba (East) Mississippi Community College, has become a major target for Iowa State as the program continues building out its 2027 class. Sam Spiegelman of Rivals has predicted that Wyman will eventually commit to the Cyclones, and the momentum appears to be trending that way after Iowa State made up ground in recent weeks.
The visit schedule is a big part of that push. Wyman is set to be in Ames next weekend when Iowa State hosts Cincinnati at Jack Trice Stadium, after initially planning to visit this upcoming weekend.
He made the change himself, posting: “CHANGE OF PLANS!!! THE VISIT WILL BE NEXT WEEKEND!
NOV 14th can’t wait to down and have a great time!! Excited to see what the guys have in store!!
AGTG🙏🏾🙏🏾@ISURogers3 @RickyCiccone @CycloneFB @samspiegs @Smitherman_Era @ZBlostein247 @Zach_Berry @JuCoFootballACE @Sagt_CoachWade https://t.co/HtwmfsUH1a”
Wyman also laid out what has stood out to him about Iowa State’s approach. “It comes down to the love and support I get from these guys,” Wyman told Rivals of the push from Iowa State during his season, via Spiegelman.
“They make sure to call every second they get to make it known that I’m a priority. (GM) Coach Ricky (Ciccone) came out to one of my games this season … showing love.
They are in the driver’s seat. I love the school; it’s a great place and somewhere I could get better and get ready for the pros.”
The 6-foot, 180-pound Miami transfer has been productive right away at the JUCO level. In 10 games, he has 26 tackles and four interceptions, production that has helped him stand out as a freshman. He was a four-star recruit out of Jonesboro High School in Georgia and originally committed to Miami before leaving the program in August for undisclosed reasons and landing at East Mississippi.
Wyman was ranked No. 326 in the 2026 cycle, and he’s backed that up with strong play this fall. Ole Miss and Texas Tech were both heavily involved, but Iowa State has moved into the lead in the projected pecking order. If the official visit goes well, the Cyclones could be in position to close.
In Other News...
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The bigger sting for Iowa State is what comes next in a crowded Big 12 picture. The league now has five teams in the Top 25, and Nebraska slid into the spot Iowa State vacated, leaving the Cyclones with an early reminder that reputation alone will not carry them through the opening stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Faces A Brutal Test With Bowl Hopes On The Line
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Cincinnati brings a clear challenge with a rushing attack that can control the tempo, led by quarterback JC French IV and running back Cole Tabb. For Iowa State, the margin for error is thin, and the matchup sets up as one where the Cyclones will need to steady themselves quickly if they want to keep their postseason hopes alive. [Read more 🡒]
Iowa State Already Has A Poll Problem To Fix At Home
Iowa States early season has already turned into a small referendum on how quickly a ranked team can lose margin for error. After splitting its first two games with a loss to Memphis and a win over Southern Miss, the Cyclones now head into a two-game home stretch against Southern and Niagara with a chance to steady things before the schedule gets any more complicated.
The bigger issue is the national perception attached to those results. Iowa State has slipped to No. 23 in the USA TODAY Sports poll and fallen out of the AP Top 25, though it is still getting votes, which means the next week at home carries a little more weight than a typical November tune-up. A clean run would not erase the Memphis loss, but it would give the Cyclones something firmer to point to as they try to climb back into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
