FRISCO, Texas — Midway through spring football, the position battle under center was heating up.
In the words of Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers, it was a “pretty solid match” between Arkansas State transfer Jaylen Raynor and Oklahoma State transfer Zane Flores.
Although Raynor appeared to be taking first-team snaps during the Cyclones’ April 25 spring showcase, there had been plenty of shuffling around up to that point.
“He initially started spring ball a little slower than what I imagined,” Rogers said of Raynor at Big 12 Football Media Days on Wednesday, July 8. “But, his progression day in and day out, I think he’s having his best weeks going into the summer.”
Now, several months later, the quarterback picture is much clearer.
“Yeah, Jaylen Raynor, we brought him here for a reason,” Rogers said. “Obviously, we have high hopes for him. At the end of the day, there’s still fall camp to be played.
“He’s got to produce inside of fall camp. We’re going to play the best players, but Jaylen is going into camp as the one and he’s got to continue to hold his position, and those are all things that I said in the recruiting process.”
Raynor, who endeared himself to his new teammates by memorizing their names at an impressively fast rate, arrives at Iowa State and the power-conference level with three years of starting experience at Arkansas State.
“He became, right away, he was one of the best leaders on the team,” said running back Aiden Flora. “Very well-spoken. If you ever talk to Jaylen, you’ll always have a smile on your face. He’s a great guy, great leader and a very smart kid and that’s the type of leader you want for your team.”
Last season, he completed an Arkansas State record 333 passes in 501 attempts (66.5% completion rate) for 3,361 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also ran for 423 yards and seven touchdowns on 154 carries.
Over his three seasons with the Red Wolves, he compiled a 20-16 record as a starter. He has a 62.9% career completion rate for 8,694 yards, 52 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He also has 1,183 career rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 414 carries.
He’s hoping to take the next step forward and stick the landing at the Big 12 level, after previously competing in the Sun Belt.
To help make that vision a reality, he’s been putting in extra work outside of practices and workouts to deepen the chemistry with his teammates on offense.
“We get together every weekend just to get extra throws,” Raynor said. “We get extra snaps with the centers, we live together, we just hang out inside and outside the facility just to continue to build that camaraderie, so once we get in those tough situations during the season, we know each other’s ‘why,’ how each other’s going to perform in those type of critical situations.”
Raynor is also a beneficiary of the NCAA’s new ‘5-for-5’ eligibility rules, which will allow all athletes across all sports to have five years of eligibility over five seasons.
Before the implementation of the new role in June, Raynor arrived with only one year of eligibility remaining. Now, he could potentially return to Iowa State and suit up again for one final season in 2027, if he chooses.
For now, the one-day-at-a-time enthusiast is directing his focus to the 2026 season, and he’ll mull over his options after this year.
The only thing in the future he’s thinking about is his first game as a Cyclone. Iowa State opens the season at home against FCS Southeast Missouri State on Sept. 5.
Iowa State fans had a chance to acquaint themselves with Raynor twice when he was leading Arkansas State. The Cyclones romped Arkansas State, 52-7, at home in 2024, and won on the road, 24-16, last season.
Once the season kicks off in September, though, he’ll have the Cyclone faithful behind him.
“It was definitely a selling point, or I guess, a benefit, I’m used to the fans and atmosphere of Jack Trice, playing there two years ago,” Raynor said. “It was amazing, just the excitement around it. We’re pulling into tailgates and it’s just filled with red and yellow, and obviously, the juicy wiggle.
“We were down 30 points and the whole stadium was doing the juicy wiggle, so that’s something I’m looking forward to being on the opposite sideline, so it’s a whole bunch of excitement.”
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 quarterback Jaylen Raynor named Cyclones starter
Reporting by Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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By Eugene Rapay, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
