AMES — In this transfer portal era, it’s become common to see players end up at new schools each passing year.
Sometimes, familiar foes will join forces with another in-conference rival, and there are even times where players will cross out from enemy lines and become Cyclones.
Iowa State defensive lineman Caden Crawford always envisioned returning to the FBS level and contributing to a power-conference team. In the action-packed and unpredictable transfer portal, he never would have thought Ames would be a destination one day.
At least, not after being on the losing end of a 55-7 beatdown in the Cyclones’ 2025 home opener while playing on the defensive line for FCS South Dakota.
It certainly would have seemed unfathomable to him several years before that, when he was still a member of the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Crawford is happy to shed past allegiances and don the cardinal and gold for the Cyclones. He’s looking forward to finally seeing what it’s like to have Jack Trice Stadium cheer for his efforts this time around.
“I didn’t have any idea in my mind I’d play here, I remember coming here,” Crawford said, thinking back to the Aug. 30, 2025, trip to Ames. “Great atmosphere, obviously. It was a tough day when I was with South Dakota, but the fans were great, I could tell. There was a ton of energy in the stadium, it was super fun to play in.”
Crawford tallied six tackles against the Cyclones in that game. He also had one of the two Coyotes’ tackles for loss. The 6-foot-4, 265-pound defensive end went on to finish with 78 tackles and recorded team-highs in tackles for loss (10.5) and sacks (5). He was an All-Missouri Valley Conference second-team selection. The Lansing, Kansas native also landed on the MVC All-Newcomer team.
The Coyotes finished the 2025 season with a 10-5 record and reached the FCS quarterfinals. It was the type of season Crawford needed to re-establish himself and build momentum for a return to the FBS level.
Before that, he spent three years at Iowa to begin his collegiate career. He redshirted upon arrival, but then saw action in four games across the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He never got to play in any of the Cy-Hawk games, but 2026 may be different.
While most of his friends that he played with at Iowa have since transferred or graduated, the few remaining with the Hawkeyes wished him well once he announced his commitment.
“When I was getting recruited here, first talking with some of the coaches, they asked me if that’d be weird,” Crawford said of being a former Hawkeye. “I said, no, not really. It’s different, for sure. Have a ton of respect for that program, for Coach Ferentz and everyone there, but looking forward to being able to play in (the Cy-Hawk game) this year, as well as everybody else we play.”
Crawford is one of 15 newcomers on a revamped defensive line, which will play a bigger part in the Cyclones’ defense after switching to a 4-2-5 scheme, after previously using a three-man front in the 3-3-5.
Iowa State welcomed 10 transfers and will have five incoming freshmen on the defensive line. There were six holdovers from last season, a group led by Zaimir Hawk and Jace J. Gilbert.
“He’s one of those guys that has a little bit of extra fuel added to his fire, but just the physicality that he brings every single day,” defensive line coach Jalon Bibbs said. “And just the mentality that he brings every single day has been something that’s really allowed us to be very pleased with where he’s at.”
It’ll be an open competition through the spring and summer, leading into the Cyclones’ season-opener this fall, to determine spots on the defensive line. Expect Crawford to give his all, especially with this opportunity to be back at the FBS level.
Crawford made the most of his chance at South Dakota, and he aims to do the same at Iowa State. He quickly fell in love with the coaching staff and the program after taking his official visit to Ames. He didn’t see a reason to visit other schools and quickly committed to the Cyclones. Now back on a power-conference roster, he hopes for a much bigger role than when he was at Iowa for three years.
“Maybe my confidence was down a little bit after my time at Iowa, not getting as much playing time as I anticipated or wanted to, but going down to South Dakota and playing at that level, it’s still great competition,” Crawford said. “A lot of good teams, good players and it really boosted me. It got me back up to having full confidence in myself and I think it did a lot of great things for me.
“I just wanted to come back to Power 4. I think it’s the highest level of players, the best game atmospheres, high-level coaches, and just being able to compete against the best every week is something that really enticed me.”
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football’s Caden Crawford makes most of return to FBS level
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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