2023 was a season of ups and downs for Iowa State football. A team of young players progressed and improved to finish the season on a strong note.
Now, 18 of the 22 starters from the 2023 season are back with another year of experience under their belt, looking to take a big leap in 2024.
The position group with perhaps the most expectations and experience is the wide receiver group, led by seniors Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins. Last season, Noel hauled in 820 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, while Higgins finished with 983 yards and six touchdowns.
“What can’t be undersold is just how talented those top two guys are,” head coach Matt Campbell said during Iowa State’s football media day. “I mean, you know who Jaylin Noel is, he’s got the ability to put a finishing touch on just a phenomenal football career here at Iowa State. What Jayden Higgins has meant to our team, it’s been awesome. And, you know, I talked a lot about what Ben Brahmer did a year ago as a true freshman, I just think his talent is certainly through the roof.”
The two-headed monster of Noel and Higgins, along with others like Daniel Jackson and tight end Benjamin Brahmer, look to be quite the force heading into the 2024 season.
“I’m extremely confident in the receiver group,” Higgins said. “ We have the ability for every single person in the room to make plays. I feel like we’re extremely dynamic. Literally any person can make plays in that group, so you know, whether it’s me, Jaylin, Benny [Brahmer], D-Jack [Daniel Jackson], any of our guys can make plays at any given time.”
The man in charge of getting the receivers the ball, sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht, is also expected to make a big leap in 2024.
Becht had a very successful freshman season for the Cyclones. He was thrust into the starting job after former quarterback Hunter Dekkers was charged with tampering with public records after an illegal gambling investigation by the Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation. Dekkers pled guilty to underage gambling which included a $645 fine.
Becht broke the Iowa State freshman records for completions (231), passing yards (3,120) and passing touchdowns (23) while on his way to being named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Now, in his first full off-season as the presumed starter, Becht will look to build on his historic freshman season.
“I think my confidence has tremendously risen in a way that I didn’t expect. I feel like that comes from the respect I get from my teammates and the trust that the coaches have in me and my comfortability in the offense,” Becht said.
When speaking to his teammates, it was clear that Becht has stepped up in a big way as a leader of the team.
“We got the perfect quarterback in Rocco Becht to get us the ball.” Jackson said.
“He’s been great just stepping up as a vocal leader, making sure guys are being held accountable and then just his continuous work through the offseason to better himself, whether it’s getting stronger, faster, more velocity on the ball, he continues to do that. Just by him doing that pushes the other guys to be better,” Noel said.
On the other side of the ball, the defensive backs are a group to look out for this upcoming season.
While the defensive back room may have lost star cornerback T.J. Tampa to the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, they return plenty of experienced playmakers.
“We’re gonna have to continue to develop and grow in that room, but we’re really excited to see what that room can potentially look like.” Campbell said.
Cornerbacks Myles Purchase, Darian Porter and Jontez Williams, along with safeties Malik Verdon, Jeremiah Cooper and Beau Freyler, make up a strong core that is expected to have a big year.
“I think our depth got challenged a year ago,” Campbell said. ”So what happened is a lot of guys got quality opportunities to play. I do think when you play and you don’t have success, it’s kind of good to go into the offseason and say, okay, well, where are my gaps and where do I have to grow to be better?’”
“The corners and the safeties are very talented,” Porter said. “There’s a lot of experience in that group, but a lot of talent as well. We’re excited to see how things will turn out in camp.”
That is the feeling many have about this year’s team. Returning the amount of players the Cyclones have comes with raised expectations and it feels like expectations are the highest they have been since 2021.
“Expectations, you know, for us, that’s been the fun thing about this place. You know, we’ve gone through it all right? Nobody thinks we’ve got any shot to be successful. Then everybody thinks, you know, we’re going to be really successful. So the great thing about being at one place as long as we’ve been and the opportunity to build a football program is, man, you can learn and grow through the positives and negatives along the way.” Campbell said.
It will not be long before the Cyclones get their chance to rise to the challenge, as their first game against North Dakota is now under a month away on Aug. 31 at Jack Trice Stadium.
