AMES — The Iowa State football depth chart is far from locked in, but the conclusion of spring practice offered some insight for where the team stands in April, just a few months after welcoming a new coaching staff and building a new-look roster.
The Cyclones’ April 25 showcase wrapped up the 15-practice allotment for the spring and gave some hints for what the 2026 team may look like.
With summer training and fall camp, there’s still plenty of time for the depth chart to change. Things are far from locked in. Based on the spring, here’s a look at the Cyclones’ offense and names to watch at each position going forward.
Quarterback
Names to know:
Others to watch: Connor Moberly, R-So.
The depth chart is far from final, but all signs from the spring showcase pointed towards Raynor being on track for the starting job.
He was expected to be the front-runner for QB1 when he arrived, especially with former Arkansas State offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf joining Jimmy Rogers’ staff as quarterbacks coach. However, as spring football got underway, there was reportedly a close position battle between Raynor and Flores.
Once the spring showcase came, Raynor was first in line for individual position drills. During the scrimmage portion or practice, he was leading the first-team offense.
Don’t cast off Flores or Moberly, though. Flores orchestrated the lone touchdown drive during team scrimmages. Moberly had some solid plays under center and had impressed coaches in recent weeks.
“There’s good depth,” offensive coordinator Tyler Roehl said. “You’ve got three guys, and Moberly did an unbelievable job this last week. Happy with the way Raynor’s playing, Flores, Moberly. When you can go into the summer and say, ‘You’ve got three guys that you wouldn’t even flinch if they were in the game,’ you’ve got to be really happy.”
Running back
Names to know:
Others to watch: Salahdin Allah, Jr.; Jayden Jackson, R-Fr.
Don’t expect a single workhorse to get the bulk of the carries. Running backs coach John Johnson wants to be able to rotate and mix in different players, so be ready for a steady diet of Flora and Pettaway in the backfield.
They might not be as proven as the previous one-two punch the Cyclones had in the backfield with Carson Hansen and Abu Sama, but they’ll certainly get their opportunities to make an impact as primary ballcarriers.
Unfortunately for Iowa State, it was without one key running back during the spring showcase, as Allah was spotted with a cast on his lower right leg and was using a knee scooter to move around. The severity of the injury is unknown right now.
Jackson, who was a standout at the spring showcase, flashed several big plays, but he’ll need to work on consistency moving forward. There is an opportunity for him to earn more reps if Allah’s absence is prolonged, but he’ll need to gain the coaches’ trust.
“He did a solid job,” Rogers said of Jackson. “He hasn’t done much. He’s got to consistently grow and do things off the field that are right and follow through with things and grow mentally in order to continue to get reps.”
Wide receiver
Names to know:
Others to watch: Jordyn Bailey, R-Jr.; Trevor Fortenberry, R-Jr.; Dominic Overby, R-So.
Much like the running back rotation during the spring showcase, there was no clear pecking order at wide receiver.
However, when Raynor was asked about his chemistry with his new receivers, he mentioned having the strongest connections with Boyd, Jackson and Pabst.
Jackson had a solid showing during the spring showcase and hauled in the lone touchdown pass during the scrimmage portion. He was a productive receiver at the FCS level for Tarleton State, and he’s looking to make his return to FBS after starting his career at Oklahoma and Houston, where he barely saw action.
Boyd is one receiver transfer the Cyclones were excited for, coming in with power-four experience after seeing limited action at Michigan State. Pabst appeared in nine games at Washington State as a freshman last season, and he got injured towards the end of the year and missed the Cougars’ bowl game.
Also keep an eye on Hayes, who played for CFP-qualifier Tulane. He’s had 500 or more receiving yards in each of the last two years.
As for others to watch, Bailey, the TCU transfer, did not participate in the spring showcase, so it’ll be interesting to see what his role is within the offense and where he fits in compared with his peers. Overby is Iowa State’s top returning receiver from last year, who is aiming to work on his consistency and hoping to level up his abilities after seeing a diminishing role throughout the 2025 season.
Lastly, Trevor Fortenberry is the younger brother of tight end Tyler Fortenberry and is looking to make the jump from the JUCO level. If his 70-yard reception during the spring showcase is indicative of anything, it’s that he can pop off for big plays.
Tight end
Names to know:
Others to watch: Vince Benetti, R-Jr.; Ben Haulmark, R-Jr.; A.J. Petersen, R-Jr.
Gone are the days of Gabe Burkle and Ben Brahmer, two tight ends who have been staples for the Cyclones in recent years. So who’s up next?
Tight ends coach Seth Hestness wants to be able to mix in different personnel, so there could be various players getting in on the action. Much like the running backs and wide receiver groups, there was plenty of rotation among tight ends during the spring showcase.
Tyler Fortenberry has FBS starting experience and was a teammate of Raynor at Arkansas State. The redshirt senior is the oldest and most experienced of the group, so he may be a candidate.
Greenlaw is an intriguing player. A basketball-to-football convert, he once hit the game-winning shot to help his high school win the Virginia Class 5A state title. He didn’t play football until his senior year of high school and after three years at Hampton, he’s making the leap to the Big 12 and Iowa State. There’s plenty of room for growth with him, but he saw plenty of action at his former school, playing in 20 games and making a total of 12 starts. He is a raw player, but there’s talent that could be unlocked with proper development.
As for Roskop, he became a fan-favorite during the offseason with his positivity on social media as a returning player to double down on his intent to play at Iowa State after the coaching change. That leadership has carried over to the locker room and the tight end group, but will he take a bigger role on the field this season? He was primarily a blocking tight end last year.
Offensive line
Names to know:
Others to watch: Austin Barrett, R-Jr.; Gavin Broscious, R-Jr.; DeAndre Carter, R-So.; Gabriel Greenlee, R-Sr.; Maasai King, R-Sr.; Cade Myer, R-Sr.
It takes time to develop chemistry as an offensive line, and that will be an ongoing process throughout the year. The depth chart may also be a work in progress this summer and fall.
The Cyclones welcomed 10 transfers and two high school commits to the offensive line. That group joins six holdovers from last year’s roster.
“There’s really good depth in that room, so to figure out who’s going to play, I don’t know, 10 guys may play and that’s OK with me,” Roehl said. “I’ve been a part of offenses where we’ve been able to rotate offensive linemen, much like you’re doing receivers, so we can sub in and out.”
For now, though, first-team snaps at the spring showcase appeared to go to Taylor (left tackle), Maas (left guard), Smith (center), Amick (right guard) and Rutledge (right tackle).
Power-conference transfers Brocious (Michigan State) and Carter (Auburn) were among the second-teamers. The staff was also complimentary of Barrett, Myer and Greenlee during spring football camp. King could also be one to keep an eye on, too. The 6-foot-4, 310-pound lineman is one of the more experienced as a redshirt senior, and he played in 11 games and had five starts for Akron last season.
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: Breaking down Iowa State football offense, Cyclones’ player to know
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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