Oklahoma State and Iowa State are heading toward their Oct. 31, 2026 meeting with a lot more unknowns than usual, and that’s exactly why the trenches and one big receiver matchup loom so large.
Both programs are working through major turnover under new head coaches, with dozens of new players filtering into the mix. By the time they line up in late October, the hope is that the pieces have settled. The reality, though, is that this game may still come down to which team has built the cleaner operation by then.
Up front, Iowa State is starting from scratch on the offensive line. The Cyclones have no returning starters there, and every projected starter is a transfer.
Even the backups are a blend of transfers and holdovers. The most experienced name in that group is former Oklahoma tackle Jake Taylor, though he did not play much for the Sooners.
Oklahoma State has a little more continuity on its defensive front, but not much. Jaleel Johnson is back after missing most of last season with a shoulder injury, and he brings five years of experience.
Beyond him, the presumed starters on the front four are transfers, including some who followed new head coach Eric Morris from North Texas. There’s also a mix of returning players and transfers working in the rotation behind them.
That makes the central line battle pretty clear: Iowa State has to keep quarterback Jaylen Raynor upright, while Oklahoma State has to keep him from getting loose. Whichever side handles that assignment better could tilt the game.
Another matchup worth watching centers on one of the Big 12’s most talked-about new receivers, Young. He arrives after a massive season at North Texas, where he caught passes from Drew Mestemaker - who, as it happens, also transferred to Oklahoma State. Young put up 70 catches for 1,264 yards and 10 touchdowns, and that chemistry with Mestemaker makes him a natural candidate to be the Cowboys’ top target.
Iowa State does at least have some continuity in the secondary. David Coffey is projected to start at cornerback, Drew Surges is back at strong safety, and Keyon Washington is the other projected corner. Those three will be the ones charged with dealing with Young in coverage.
And in a game shaped by so much change, that individual battle could end up carrying an outsized share of the weight. Whoever wins it, the source of the edge is probably the same: their team likely wins too.
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