Iowa State is heading into 2026 with a completely different look, and Oklahoma State fans should expect a Cyclones team built almost entirely from new faces. Jimmy Rogers is taking over after Matt Campbell’s long run in Ames, and with Campbell gone to Penn State, a major chunk of the roster followed him out the door. That leaves Rogers, who previously coached at Washington State and South Dakota State, to piece things together without a returning starter.
That doesn’t mean the Cyclones are short on talent. It just means the names are unfamiliar in Ames. Here are five Iowa State players Oklahoma State fans should have on their radar before the Oct. 31 matchup.
At quarterback, Iowa State is expected to turn to Rocco Becht Raynor. He arrives after three seasons at Arkansas State, where he was the 2023 Sun Belt Conference freshman of the year and a true freshman all-America as selected by On3.
In 2025, he completed 66% of his passes for 3,361 yards and 19 touchdowns, both career highs, and added seven rushing scores. Former Oklahoma State star Zane Flores is the expected backup.
The Cyclones also brought in a dangerous weapon in Pettaway, who comes over after a strong season at Bowling Green. He ran for 365 yards on 72 carries and caught eight passes for 139 yards.
His biggest impact came on special teams, where he led the nation and set a Bowling Green record with a 33-yard kick return average. That production earned him FWAA freshman all-American honors, MAC freshman of the year and first team all-MAC recognition as a kick returner.
One of the few offensive holdovers from last season is Overby, and he could be in line for a bigger role in a system that should lean on downhill running and play-action passing under Tyler Roehl, who has Iowa State ties. Overby started three games last year, appeared in all 12, and finished with seven catches for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Those scores mattered, too - he became just the 12th Cyclone freshman ever to record multiple touchdown catches.
On defense, Rogers brought Terrell with him from Washington State, and Iowa State will need him to be a difference-maker off the edge. He spent three seasons with the Cougars and last year earned Pac-12 Conference top defensive line performer honors after posting 28 tackles, 12 tackles for loss and seven sacks, all team highs. The Cyclones are counting on that kind of pass-rush production.
Willich is another returner who has a chance to matter more in a new setup. The redshirt senior has dealt with a frustrating college career, playing only four games in 2022 after an injury wiped out his senior year of high school, then missing the entire 2024 season because of a season-ending injury.
Last year he got on the field in six games with three starts and made 18 tackles. With a new coach in place, this is his last shot to make a real mark on the program.
In Other News...
This One Early Game Could Define Oklahoma States Post-Gundy Reset
Oklahoma State enters 2026 in a very different place than it has occupied for most of the Mike Gundy era, with the program trying to steady itself after the longtime coach was fired and the reset now moving from theory into the schedule. There are obvious early chances to build momentum, but the Cowboys also know how quickly a season can tilt when the first real conference test arrives.
The one that stands out is the Big 12 opener at West Virginia on Sept. 26, a road game that comes at a point where the Cowboys could be carrying real confidence or already feeling the weight of the rebuild. A win there would put Oklahoma State in position to spend the bye week looking up the standings and thinking about a bowl path, while a loss would make the early climb that much steeper and leave the reset feeling even more fragile. [Read more 🡒]