Iowa State Cyclones: Building On Success

The Cyclones made a huge jump in wins in Paul Rhoads first year at the helm. They defeated Minnesota in the Insight Bowl and had a huge Big 12 win at Nebraska. Now the key for the Cyclones is building of the success.

They return a lot of their talent especially on offense. So here is a position by position breakdown.

Quarterback: Austen Arnaud (pictured) returns at QB. He was inconsistent but has shown over the past couple years that he can be a very good quarterback and seems poised to make that next step. Jerome Tiller has proven he is a capable replacement if something should happen to Arnaud. He led them to the win against Nebraska.

Running Back: Alexander Robinson proved this year that he is one of the top backs in the Big 12. He and Arnaud made the zone read play a science this year. Bo Williams will be his primary back up next year. Jeremiah Schwartz has said he will transfer.

Wide Receivers/Tight End: With the the spread offense receivers are very important. Jake Williams and Darius Darks will be the top returning players. The question is who will emerge as the 3rd and 4th options. Sedrick Johnson has the potential to be a star for them, so he is a candidate for that 3rd spot. Josh Lenz  is another possibility. Collin Franklin is a proven tight end.

O-Line: Reggie Stephens will be missed but they return a lot to a group that improved a lot this year. Kelechi Osemele will be the left tackle. Alex Alvarez will be the left guard in all likelihood. Ben Lamaak will be the right guard. Scott Haughton returns at right tackle. Center is the question mark. Sean Smith was the back up this year, but Alvarez has experience there too so he could play there and have someone else play guard. This will be the biggest offensive question.

D-Line: This group loses Nate Frere and Chris Lyle. They will be missed, but they return some capable players. Austin Albertis and Bailey Johnson return with lots of defensive tackle experience. Patrick Neal will be one of the ends. The other spot will probably be Roosevelt Maggitt but Cleyon Lang is also in the mix. 

Linebackers: This is a huge question mark. They lose Fred Garrin, Josh Raven, and Jesse Smith. Smith was the heart and soul of the team last year. It will be wide open in the offseason but the leaders now are. Jake Knott at the Will LB spot. Jacob Lattimer at Sam LB. And in the middle A.J. Klein. 

Secondary: Lose Kenard Banks and James Smith, but they return a strong core. David Sims will be counted on to lead the defense after a superb year at free safety. Michael O'Connell has lots of experience at strong safety. Leonard Johnson must bounce back after a little bit of a sophomore slump last year. He is their top corner. Terran Benton is an experienced and talented corner on the other side. Depth at corner is a concern but O'Connell is capable of being the nickel back if needed.

Special Teams: Grant Mahoney returns at kicker. All the returners return with Leonard Johnson, David Sims, and Josh Lenz. Punter needs filled with the absence of Mike Brandtner.

Summary: The Cyclones seem prepared to build on their success. Nebraska looks good in the Big 12 North but other than that nothing looks too great so the Cyclones should be right up near the top of the division.