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Podcast: Iowa State at The Voice of College Football Episode: POST-SPRING FOOTBALL NOTES | Iowa State Cyclones LIVE #64 Transcript: [music] >> Welcome everybody to another episode of Iowa State Cyclones live here on the Voice of College Football Network. I'm Levi Stevenson joined by my co-host Carter Hanson. How's it going Carter? It's going well. It's going well. I'm pretty tired. It's been It's been a It's been It was a It was a long, tiring, but very fun, but long and tiring weekend. Um and just kind of just trying to find get my get my feet back under me cuz I'm after that had some couple long days of work and then I'm headed to Vegas tomorrow for a convention through the weekend. So, it's a It's a So, circus around my life right now. It's going to be It's going to be in for a long long latter half of the week. Geez. Yeah. Um >> [clears throat] >> tonight we're we're just talking spring football. Um We both went up to the spring game and in Ames on Saturday. So, we're going to go We're going to break down position by position. Uh kind of what we what we thought about each group. Um We can maybe try to project kind of a two-deep at each position. Um cuz I think we got a a decent look at a lot of guys on Saturday. Um and go through that, but I guess was there any like just kind of initial initial thoughts from that spring game just kind of overall just kind of overall impression, you know, first impressions you came away with? Yeah, you know, I think um I think some of the position groups um really highlighted really highlighted good energy. Um defense was flying around making plays uh, when they could. Um, I really did like the start of it when they when they did the midnight alley. I mean, that's that's just tone setter. It was just a tone setter hope for the whole after for the whole, uh, uh, session. Um, and I think Zamir White said it best when it's when he said the Yeah. Really really big nuts. Yeah. [laughter] Who has the bigger nuts. >> Yeah. Um, for anybody that didn't see it, the midnight alley drill is sort of a modified version of the old Oklahoma drill, um, where it's a, you know, they basically line up with two offensive lineman and a running back against two defensive lineman and a linebacker, uh, you know, at the two yard line or whatever it is. And offense tries to score, defense tries to stop them. Um, but it's a it's a fun drill. It's like I said, it's it's similar to the old Oklahoma drill in that it's very like mano e mano, like, you know, like Zamir White, you know, like Zamir White said, it's, you know, do with the biggest nuts type of thing. Like that's um, very much the attitude of the of that drill. And and I I was I thought it did a good job of setting the attitude, like just setting a setting a tone for the practice for the for the day. And and really for the for the the team and the program in general, I thought that was a good, like, indicator of what they're trying to do. Um, is, you know, just go out there and be, you know, be the last one to throw the punch in the mouth type of thing. And, uh, you know, and just be the tougher team go out there and and play hard type of thing. And I I thought it was awesome. I thought it was a cool drill. Um, it definitely it definitely like set the tone, I think, as far as just like this is the team that, you know, are they most physically imposing? Are they the most talented team that you're ever going to see? You know, maybe not, but god damn it, they're going to play they're going to play hard. They're going to play their asses off. And that was very And they're going to be physical, and that was that was very apparent from from the beginning. And that was, you know, kicked off by that midnight alley drill which I thought was really cool. Um and like I said, they only ran a couple they only ran a couple reps of it. Um Mhm. And they clearly had like guys picked out that they were going to do it with. But I thought it was really cool. Yeah. Um one thing I didn't know about that was I think that was something that Roll brought with him from the Lions. Yeah. And I think that's I think that's a really cool transition to the to the college game. Mhm. Just another sprinkle of high energy um effort in practice. Well, and part of it too is like the old Oklahoma drill like gets a lot of I mean, it deservedly gets that kind of a a bad rap because if you're using it like in youth football, it's really dangerous because they don't know how to tackle properly and all that. It's really really dangerous that that drill is. But when you can modify like like that to essentially just create a a like a like a like an outside zone running situation or really over like a trap running situation or something like that where it's about reading your blocks, about the linebacker, reading reading the offensive line and watching the running back and and you know, making a tackle in in in a gap. You know, it it practices that situation and it also, you know, reinforces the reinforces that culture of just toughness and grittiness that it was very very obvious that they want to perpetuate within the program. So, you know, it's a it's a it's a great variation on it because I mean, that Oklahoma drill has always been like a mano e mano thing. But you can still have that and still make it safer and more like meaningful for your team. Definitely. Definitely. So, we're just going to go down kind of in your usual or we're just going to go down through each position group, uh talk about them, give them give them our give our thoughts on each of these. Um and we'll just start right at the top with quarterbacks. Uh There was They so uh all four quarterbacks on the roster got time. They've got the other They'd ran drills beforehand. We saw a little bit of that and then walk-on quarterback Wyatt Bohm he got a few snaps right at the end, but I mean, you know, unsurprisingly the main guy running with the first team was Jalen Reagor. But Zane Flores also got quite a quite a lot of action. Mobley appeared to me to be the clear like third third guy. It seemed where like rather than it be like Jalen Reagor and then Flores and Mobley, it seemed to me it to be like Reagor, Flores, Mobley. Yes. That's the way it it seemed to me. Mhm. Which that that's on par with what they've said all all spring so far even through the parts of February and March of how close that battle is between Flores and Reagor and I think we really showed it off. I mean, they really showed it off. Um I mean, both of the touchdown drives from the offense were led by Zane Flores. He threw a He threw a dime. >> He threw a couple He threw a couple of them. He threw the the dime to Cody Jackson on that touchdown. Beautiful throw. Gorgeous throw. Well, and another throw earlier earlier in the practice during the drills that I thought may have gotten missed was hitting He hit Aiden Flora on a wheel route and they were they were running one-on-ones, you know, they were they were running real one-on-one routes, one-on-one routes and Flora came out of of the backfield on a wheel route and burnt his dude and Flores just just just gifted it to him right over the top. And it was a gorgeous throw on that on a really good route, really good throw, really good play. Austin captures it right here as well. He's a lot better than I anticipated and so I was the death guy when he signed. I I I had suspicions that he was going to be a lot better than people gave him credit for because that Oklahoma State team was so bad last year. But as we're as we saw on Saturday is that Oklahoma State team was not bad because of Zane Flores. No. I actually I should I should also clarify. I was informed by John Walters on Saturday night Saturday South Street via that it's floors, not Flores. Like as in like the floors you walk on. >> So I I need to retrain myself to say floors instead of Flores. Um but Well, it's cuz we have we have Flora and floor in with with Flora and floors now instead of Flora and Flores, but um So [clears throat] wait till they're in the same backfield. Yeah, no [ __ ] Uh But I I I I think that's the right I think that's like kind of the the what I saw was that Zane Flores is not there to just be a forever backup. It it it was very clear to me that um he [snorts] may be pushing Rhyner a little bit um as far as like I I I think it seemed to me as though Rhyner is is the starter and and we shouldn't take it away. He had some very very nice throws as well. They didn't really ask him to do much with his legs. There was a couple times he escaped from the pocket, but he has a no Now he has no contact jersey on. As soon as he's outside the pocket, they're just going to blow the whistle. Mhm. Um but you know, he made some nice throws as well. So I you know, shouldn't gloss over that that Rhyner had a good day for himself. Um Yeah. but uh Zane Flores I think showed that he's not not a real big difference from Rhyner in terms of ability to play the quarterback position. Mhm. Yeah, I think I think even next year um going into the future it might honestly be his backfield to lose next year. I mean, if he sticks around and if he can continues to make good strides um unless unless he um unless he someone comes along and gives him a challenge for it. Um he Yeah, and right now I guess it doesn't it doesn't feel to me as though Connor Mobley will be the guy to push him. And And not a a dig at Mobley. It just if he was truly in contention to be like in that first group or even like in the first group next year, it seems to me as though we would have seen more of him on Saturday like we would have seen more meaningful snaps with like with the first teamers on Saturday, I think. Mhm. Um I I I guess it depend I mean like you say it'll depend on who shows up and all this and like I don't know if they Right now I don't think they would like need to take a transfer in the portal. Um They did get a quarterback though in the last class that I really really like. Hudson Hudson Kerland. Yeah. And so he'll yeah, he'll be here in in August. And I really I watching his high school tape, he is a little bit of footwork away from being a really really interesting player. To the point where like I mean he's got he's got really really high-end arm talent and you know, maybe he's not ready right away next year, but the year after that, you know, we'll we'll see what you know, maybe you don't have to start him until he's a a redshirt sophomore because you know, because Flores is is good enough. But if they're to me from what based on what I have seen from Mobley and what I see see on tape from Hudson Kerland, uh it seems to me as though Hudson would have a theoretic a better theoretical chance at beating out Flores next year. But we got a long ways between here and there. Yeah. Yeah. Um So I got a couple of questions here. Don Rickles said Don Rickles wants to know what are the odds we have three different starting QBs next this year? Aside from injury, Yeah, that's the only thing. there's no way. Um if Rainer it doesn't work out, Flores will be there and I would be blown away if both of those guys don't work out. Just based on what I saw like I said based on what I saw on Saturday, which, granted, it's a spring game, it's hard to take a too much away from that, but >> Yeah. they both made some very, very nice throws. They They made some very high-level throws, like big like, you know, big 12 caliber throws. Mhm. Um that I I have no doubt in my mind that they'll be able to make in once they get to, you know, conference play and stuff like that. I have no doubt in my mind. Um Yeah. >> [clears throat] >> Oh. What are the video game rankings for offense and defense in the video game? This is a great question. Um >> [sighs] >> If I had to guess Mhm. So, for reference, I believe last year's team ended they ended the season, I believe, as like an I want to say they're an 80 four overall with like an 82 offense and an 85 defense. I want to say that sounds right to me. Um some somewhere in that range, like low low to, you know, low to mid-80s. Um Austin Ooh, Austin shooting Austin shooting plenty low here. Um I I I would be some I'm probably not as low on the offense. I would probably say like a 74 or 78. I mean, just because of the sole fact that like everybody's new, it's like everyone it's we're essentially unproven to the rest of the league, I would say. Yeah. We were we were picked to finish whatever in the preseason poll. Now, I'm not saying that we're not going to we're going to end up like that, but I mean, at least the start, I don't think that they're going to love us. My guess it's probably closer Now, keep in mind, the other thing to keep in mind here is as far as the overalls go, uh Braedon Olthoff is still on the roster, and he will still be on the roster for this coming football game. Even though he's not going to be on the team, he's still going to be on the roster, and he will be a high-80s overall type of player. Um my guess is that I would say it's I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to my official first projection of this just based on what I've seen. My guess is Iowa State could be literally could be like a 76-80 team um or something like a set or a 75-79. Um I think by the end of the year that number will jump up. I think you'll be closer to like a 79-79 or 79-81 type of team. Um But Yeah. we'll see. It's it's it's really hard to say because it depends on how are they going to rate Aidan Flora? Like you know, where he was you know, whatever in like the high 70s or something like that next year, but now he's shown that he's got speed he can return. He's a starter now. Like are they going to bump him up from like a 74 to like an 81 or something like that? Or are they you know, are they yeah, what's yeah, what's Cody Jackson you know, what's Evan Boyd going to be? What's Jalen Reagor going to be? Is Geo is Jalen Reagor going to be like an 80 or is he going to be like an 85? Cuz if he's only like an 80 overall, he's going to be the most fun 80 overall quarterback in the entire >> Oh, without a doubt. Cuz with his speed is nuts. Yeah. So like that's the thing. I I I would get I would venture to say my first guess is that is going to be like a 77-79-76-80 type of type of team. Very clearly favoring the defense, but the defense has some names. You know, Isaac Terrell, Sullivan Wleh will probably be a pretty decent rating. Breece Hall will still be on the roster. They have names and like we know that they're going to be good. It's just a matter of whether the rest of the NCAA knows that they're going to be good. >> My guess is that NCAA will underrate them probably to begin the season. I think it'll take a couple games for them to potentially get any ratings boost. Yeah, it's it's hard to say just cuz like even even like they're taking a pretty big pot shot at some of these things. Um there's like with like so the in the the first game where it was the 2014 that went to the Big 12 title game, that team started off as like an 83 or something like that. And I think at the end of the season after the Big 12 title game, they got moved up to like an 80s like an 87 or an 88 or something like that. Like they they jumped [clears throat] up pretty significantly through the year. So, this team absolutely has like the potential to do something like that. Um, they won't go up to they won't be like an 88 by the end of the season, but No. Um, they can absolutely you know, they can absolutely climb a few points here and there throughout the whole season, too. So, that's what I would say. Yeah, no [ __ ] Penn State Yeah, I was Yeah, Penn State is going to be in the mid-90s and that you know, they'll be in the low to mid-90s next year because Rocco's going to be like a 94 and Carson Hansen's going to be like a 90. Chase Soul is going to be like a 90. Marcus Neal's going to be like a 97. Like >> Rainer's going to be like a 95. Rainer will be like a 95, yeah. It'll be disgusting. The the glazing that College Football 27's going to do to Penn State is going to be disgusting. But, um, yeah, overall so I'm actually not sure what Jaylen Rainer's rating is. Um, so Chase Soul if he was at Iowa State, I would really die on this hill that he was actually a pretty good receiver. He really kicked it on towards the end of towards the end of last year. He's a physically imposing receiver. He's got good speed. Um, he felt like a guy that with an off season uh, in the same offense was going to be able to really step it up. And maybe now maybe he does that for Penn State this year, but uh, we're not talking Penn State today. We're talking Iowa State. So, Jaylen Rainer was an 82 overall. >> Jaylen Rainer was an 82 last year. It doesn't shock me. My guess is that Jaylen Rainer will probably be in the 82 to 85 range, if I had to guess. Cuz he had a pretty good season last year. Um, 84 speed. That feels low. They might give him more. We'll see. 86 agility. Yeah. Yeah, well, that feels right. All right. Um, >> [clears throat] >> So, um let's move on to So, Rainer I think right now Rainer is the starter, but it's not a massive gap between it's not a massive gap between him and Flores. And then it seems like there's a little bit of a gap between those two and Connor Mobley and then it's then Wybom. Um let's move on to the running backs. So, this is kind of an interesting one cuz the running game didn't do a whole lot on Saturday. Um now Aidan Flores and Cam Pedaway Pedaway both wore the black no contact jerseys on Saturday. I don't to my knowledge I don't think they have any like notable injuries was more just like they want to make sure that they stay healthy cuz you feel really really really good about those two and then behind that you're not nearly as confident. Um and it's worth noting like that like you know the the incoming incoming running back is Isaiah wasn't you know he's not in there. Um or it yeah, is Isaiah that's or no it's I um Uh Caleb Francois. Who was I thinking of? >> [laughter] >> Isaiah Hanson who the [ __ ] is that? Oh, he's a class of 27 guy. The Newton >> Oh, that's right. Yeah, yeah. Okay. Yeah. That is a person. Okay. >> [laughter] >> Where did I get that name? No, that's a person. Yes, Isaiah yes, Isaiah Hanson is the kid from Newton. Yes. Uh no, yes. Uh Caleb Francois is coming in. And yeah, we he was he's not there in the spring. So, we we haven't we haven't seen him at all. The bulk of the work actually went to Jayden Jackson. >> Jayden Jackson. And >> part was he's not even he wasn't even on the roster. There there was no number 47 on the uh roster online. Yeah, so it's kind of a you know, to me Flores and Pedaway are still very much your running back one running back two. Whether they use um Jaden Jackson or uh or Alaija Fontenot the the Oklahoma State the Oregon State transfer Alaija. If they use him they'll use either of them as a as a goal line back. Jaden Jackson's got some beef to him. Oh, he he looked huge. Yeah, he's he's he's got a bit. Yeah, he's got some beef. Yeah, yeah I was yeah nobody could figure out who the hell number 47 was cuz they're just weren't on the program. Um but Florin and Kempt headway are your starting running backs one and two. Um they're also they were the first two out there on kick return and punt return as well. They did try out Cody Jackson on punt return as well. Um but it was it's seems very obvious to me that it's going to be Florin and headway back there returning kicks and I think you're extremely you're extremely happy with that. >> fun. I don't know I mean frankly I this may sound like hyperbole but I don't like it I don't think there's anybody in the Big 12 that has a has a tandem of returners that good. I got to see It has a look but I don't I don't think that anyone I don't think anybody else in the Big 12 has a return a a duo of returners that can compete with that. Mhm. Um and we'll see like I said the the the running game didn't do a whole lot on Saturday. Part of it is the offensive line was up and down and they're also gelling and then I was uh you know no contact you know Florin Kempt headway didn't get like a ton of touches in the live scrimmage or this it was mostly Jaden Jackson so we didn't get a a great look at them. Uh but yeah, that's kind of where it's at. Nothing nothing I saw from Jaden Jackson made me believe he's going to be a one of the first two running backs. I mean again, not a dig at Jaden Jackson just he didn't show me enough to be like oh he might challenge headway and and Florin for a spot or something like that. Yeah, and I mean to be fair he was the only one of the running backs that didn't have a non-contact so it's obviously he's going to be out there hitting guys but um Yeah, and and um >> [clears throat] >> uh one of the other guys, Easton Easton Miller got some he got a couple snaps as well. He didn't again, not not much there as far as just like potential starter snaps or anything like that. Neither of those two will play I will will get a ton of snaps. They'll get some maybe some situational stuff like game stuff, but Foreign and Pettaway will be your starters for sure. >> [clears throat] >> Let's move on to the receivers. And let's include the tight ends in here mainly because this tight end room appears to me to be mostly They have a couple guys that I think can be good down the line. The the tight end room is just not going to be featured in this offense the way the way that it has been in the past. Maybe you get back to that point, but right now the tight end room seems very very raw. I do mean that and I don't mean like I'm not trying to like be political about saying they suck. I'm saying they look raw. The route running's not super sharp, but they're they've got some size there. You know, there's some there's some there's some raw ability there. So there's not a lot to talk about the tight ends. They're pretty much just blockers right now and that's that's okay. But let's talk about the receivers though because I think there's some there's a lot of interesting names here. A couple guys that I thought had some really really really really nice practice. First one is The first one that the major one that didn't do a whole lot he was just in the drills not in the live scrimmage was Amari Hayes which I think most people believe he will be one of the first three. He's kind of a slot guy from Tulane. Good route runner, he's very quick. He looked quick in the in like in the drills he ran he looked really good. So yeah, so we didn't get to see him in live scrimmage, but I would project him to be one of your three starting receivers. Yeah. Um and another guy Austin's [clears throat] actually I I like him right now. Uh Carter Pap he I think was also I think he was also dealing with dealing with a little bit of a hammy. Uh I don't know if he Did he Did he play in the scrimmage? No, he did drills but he did not play in the the live scrimmage, no. Um but I mean he's another guy that can he might not be a starter but he's at least a [ __ ] play guy. As of right now, I wouldn't put him in the top three but he'll be in the rotation at some point. Um Now the the other two guys I do believe that seem to me There's well, I would say there's two more starting receiver spots and there's three guys I think that had a really good day on Saturday that I think are absolutely in contention to be there. Uh Evan Boyd seems to me based on where where I you know the the the guys he was running with and the you know who was throwing them in drills, where he was at in the live scrimmage, seems to me to be wide receiver one right now. Mhm. Which [clears throat] I think you're good with. He's a big body. I mean he looks he looks big on the field. He he he very much looks like um kind of like a thicker Matt Eaton almost where he's just you six four he's got some beef to him. Um he's taller he's like LaMichael Petway but a little taller. Um not super dissimilar from like an Allen Lazard. Very much that body type. I um after the after the scrimmage I actually went down to like the uh down to the base of the stadium and he was there along with Aidan Flora and Cam Pedaway and he he did look very tall compared to those two. Cam Pedaway is not a large human being. No. Evan Boyd is a pretty good He's he's he's sizeable. Um Seems to me very much your wide receiver one at this point. Uh now we we haven't we didn't get to see Omar Hayes, but Evan Boyd got targets. He lined up outside in the X spot. Seems to me as though they're they're planning on him being wide receiver one this coming season. Um I would then move to Dom Overbey. I think that he had a really >> this is kind of a strange comment here from Redberry. He says he should be a really good blocking tight end. I mean He's a recei- He's a He's definitely a receiver. Yeah, he he Yeah, yeah, there you Okay, blocking Yeah. Yeah. With his size, he absolutely can be a very He can be a huge asset in the running game, for sure. No question about it. >> Mhm. Um Yeah. Other two guys I think are in contention for that third spot. Dom Overbey had a very nice day on Saturday. I saw a receiver that looks like the light It looks like the light has started to to come on for him. He's always had the ability. He's like 6'5", ran a sub-11 100-meter dash in high school. He was the state high jump champion. Uh, you know, obviously a big-time athlete. He's long. The potential's always been there. It was a matter [clears throat] of when was the light going to come on and he was going to be, you know, he was going to get the route running nailed down, his his hands were going to get better. The receiver I saw on Saturday from Dom Overbey looked confident. He ran with purpose. He I didn't see any like notion of of, you know, issues with his hands. He looks like he's To me on Saturday, he looked like he's getting ready to have a breakout season. Yep, I think like the confidence, like you said, really emanated from him after he caught that first ball and I think he made a couple good catches. Um, then he I think he caught his next couple, so I mean, as long as he can shore up the route running and keep the keep his hands honest and good, I think he's got a really good shot to be a top two receiver, um, come end of year in terms of like yards and touchdowns and whatnot. He He To me, he's your obvious like right now, anyways, he's the clearer like uh, if there's a of the big play threats on the team, he would probably be your biggest deep threat. Now, how much this offense will throw deep, I don't know because if you're pulling from like the Lions offense, the Lions and the Bears both do not throw throw deep particularly often. You know, they'll throw it down the field a little bit just cuz like, you know, Caleb Williams and Jared Goff are both very very good quarterbacks, but, you know, the offense isn't really designed to be super explosive and take chunk yardage. They're they're very they're more methodical. They find room in their running game. They find stuff in the intermediate passing game. But, I'm a but Overby looked like a guy to me that if you could, you know, you get him open on a slant, he can catch it and and give us one of those patented, I would say, you know, backdoor slants that goes for 90 yards. Yeah. Yeah, which we it seems like we have one of those every few years. You can about you can about put it on the board for every every few years they're going to send one of the take one of those to the house. Um So, Xavier Hutchinson, Oklahoma State. Or was [clears throat] it Oklahoma State? Oklahoma. >> original the OG was Quinton Bundrage taking 97 yards to the house against Texas back in 2014. And then, uh you had another one then there was another one in between, but then you had Xavier Hutchinson against Oklahoma in 2000. Um and I believe Jaylen Noel had Jaylen Noel did it a couple times. He did it once against BYU in the snow. Um He did it He did it a few He did a few to a few different people. Um they've just all It's just one of the two The play that I was thinking tackle and then they're gone. It's just happened on our multiple coaching staffs. It's just what they've gotten away with it. Um He's that kind of guy. He's that kind of explosive. Um As soon as he he you know, as he keeps developing his footwork, developing his hands, and becomes even more of like a jumping like a jump ball threat, he's going to be a a big problem down the road. He's going I mean, like as far as like physical potential goes, he's not dramatically far behind like a Hakeem Butler where it's it's just as like what what his athleticism and his body type will allow him to do down the road, he can be he can be Hakeem Butler. Definitely. And I also didn't realize how tall he was. He's listed at >> He's 6'5". He's 6'5". Yeah, he's taller than Hakeem Butler. Um >> He He definitely has the potential to be real special. Yeah. It's just a matter of, you know, again, making the light just getting the light to flip on. And yeah, we we thought we might have got it last year when he caught that opening touchdown versus Kansas State and then, you know, the the hands got inconsistent, but yeah, if if just a a change in wide receiver coach was enough to help him get that shored up and get that in order, he's got big-time potential. And I I love that for him. And I was I was glad to see him have a really great day cuz it's He felt like a guy last year that we were all rooting for to have a big day. Like, "Ah, man, like [clears throat] we you know, he's so close. We know he can get there." And then just once in a while then he just drop points. Like, "Ah, [ __ ] Damn." Type of thing where you you're you're rooting for him to have a big year type of thing. Definitely. So, last guy on the list that I felt like really cemented himself in the conversation for being in that first group was Cody Jackson, uh Charleston State formerly of Charleston State then previously to previous to that Oklahoma. Uh he was a you know, a high-ranked guy high-ranking guy coming out of out of high school. He's a you know, a clean four-star receiver coming out of high school. Um >> [clears throat] >> you know, caught him a couple really nice balls. Got that really really nice deep ball from uh Zane Flores. And just was consistently targeted. Did a good job all day. Um seems to me to have obvious ability that he can be up in that first group. Definitely. And I I like him lining up in the slot, too. And even on those the jet sweep that he had the top for the touchdown. If you put him in situations like that, I think that's where where can really thrive. Um he seems like a guy with a lot of experience, so he'll know when to settle in settle in a soft spot in the zone if um if they're playing back and um just really really good experience. Um so it's good to have a leader of that caliber in this in this core. For sure. One guy I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with on Saturday was Trevor Fortenberry. If you'd asked me to create a two-da- a two-deep of receivers before Saturday, Trevor Fortenberry would have not been on that list. Um but he played a bunch on Saturday. He played a lot even with the first team. He'd got and he got a lot of targets. And not only did he get a lot of targets, but he took a he took had some had some really long plays, had that one uh run after the catch for like 70 79 yards or something like that. >> Yep. I mean it it's very clear to me that him and Jaylen Rainer are on the same page. I don't know what his long-term outlook looks like. I don't did I Is he realistically in the rotation? Is he there Was he there on Saturday because he was he there because of Amari Hayes's injury {slash} you know, whatever other guys getting banged up? Maybe, but He showed out. He He had a really good day. >> Good, yeah. And you know, and you know, we've already we've seen other guys that have really great spring games and then they just don't end up doing anything. You know, we and we've seen it with in basketball with like the Demoin League and all that. The the YMCA League, but you know, it's kind of like a I don't know. He was not on my radar before and now he's kind of on my radar. You know, we'll see. And And like I said, I don't know if that if that what that that spring game was enough to put him in the conversation for a a you know, um for a spot in that starting rotation, but it made it interesting and he had some really nice plays. It's cool to talk about for sure. Yeah. Like you said, it's like it's like an unknown because of the guy the couple guys that were out that were probably mocked before him in the depth chart. So, yeah, it'll we'll see. It's interesting. Right now, if I were to project like a two-deep, I think that I I think the starters right now would be Boyd, Hayes, and Overby. Yeah. I'm going to say then probably the next the next three would be Pabst, um Pabst, Koda Jackson, and then maybe Trevor Fortner, I don't know. Maybe. Uh just kind of depends. But Yeah. We will move on to the offensive line, which the offensive line was inconsistent on Saturday, is what I would say. They weren't They weren't bad, but they were they were inconsistent, for sure. Um they rotated a few guys in and out of here. One guy that did not play a ton in that or he was not playing with the with the first team. I It's hard when you're especially where I was sitting in the stadium, but like in general, it's hard to keep track of like personnel, the offensive line personnel during the game. Um cuz they all have similar numbers, and you have to track them down before the play starts and all that. Um so, it's hard to track It's hard to like chart exactly like who get all the snap counts and stuff like that. Messiah King did not run a ton with the first group, from what I could tell. I don't know if that's an injury. I don't know if that what that is or if he's just not nearly as good as we thought he was. But I I it was interesting that I didn't see him more. I didn't notice him more with the first team, anyways. Yeah. One guy that I was that was cool to see him get some run with the first team was Garrett Rogledge. Was talk was was uh was listening to uh someone talk about that, and pride of Lewis Lewis Central out in Council Bluffs. Mhm. Um and apparently he was a guy that the new staff was elated to to bring back. Um so I mean, if he's out there fighting for a day one spot on that on the O line, like I mean, that's just that's just another guy you can plug and play. Yeah. Have that much experience behind him. This one I I This position >> [clears throat] >> right now this position group feels like the most difficult one to project a starting group for. Right now is there it's just it's so early. And we have you know I yeah, I I don't I don't even know if I could tell you a starting five right now. It's it's difficult. Maybe you could find just pick nine guys and you're probably going to hit on most of them as far as being in the rotation. But I you know, it's it's a little early right now. You know, right now is like do you plug in is it Braden Smith? I think the the the Colorado School of Mines transfer? Uh Or no, no who No, Braden Smith Uh Braden Smith was the Tarleton State guy. Oh yes, yeah, yes, yes. Nate Moss was from Sioux Falls. He also started. >> Yeah. Um the guy I don't know if the School of Mines guy played I don't know if he did or not. I know Colin Amick was another >> Colin Amick played a little bit. I know um Bro I think Brocious played a little bit. Uh but I it's hard to say. Um it's just it right now it's too early to call any sort of like a two deep way here. Yeah, we can take a guess based on tape from last year I guess sort of but there there's just there's too many variables here right now to really project too much. But as a group though, I was I don't want to say I was underwhelmed cuz I didn't come in with a lot of expectations. But they were they were inconsistent. You could tell you could tell that the defensive line they were going against is is much further along than the offensive line was on Saturday. That that seemed that seemed more apparent to me versus any sort of like glaring like, oh my god, the offensive line's going to be terrible this year type of thing. It was more just like, okay, the defensive line is clearly ahead of the offensive line right now. Yeah. Um and I I think that also has to do with the continuity as well. I mean, like you saw a lot of new guys on the O-line come in. Um and on on the D-line, I mean, you had a lot like you had some new guys come in as well, but I mean, how many Washington State guys came in running that same defensive scheme that they ran over there. So, I mean, it's I think I think it's familiarity. It could also be experience as well. But um yeah, it's it's not really a not really great like count this up going forward. I mean, obviously obviously it's good to see like some guys and like their playing time, but um yeah, it's it's really hard to judge based on that. Yeah. Uh I have I mean, I have full confidence in Joe Thornton to get it figured out. Uh somewhere I get get something get something acceptable out there for sure. Um but the yeah, the the defensive line which we we can just kind of use that to kind of just transition right into the defensive line. I thought the defensive line was impressive. I thought they did a nice job. Um had some really nice plays out there. Uh even and that was even they Isaac Turay did not play. Yeah. And they still looked pretty good. As you said, how they're they're they're ahead of the offensive line right now. Is it because the defensive line is incredible and the offensive line is just okay is it because the defensive line is just okay and the offensive line's bad? I don't know. But what I do know is that the defensive line looked pretty good on Saturday. Zamir White had a nice day. Um as I said, Isaac Turay didn't even play. And that unit still looked good. Mhm. Yeah. I They D-line um I think Jack Jenikowski, Caden Crawford um Blake Hawkins, I I think they all made some really nice plays in there. I I think Caden Crawford, he came from South Dakota and South Dakota Iowa. Yeah, starting with Iowa. I I think he will end up being a he will end up being one of the better transfer gets from the portal, I think this year in terms of the value you can get back out of him. I think he's going to be I really think he's going to be awesome. Yeah, the upside's there. Um, I mean, obviously he he started at Iowa. I'm not sure of the offers he had out of high school, but um Yeah, I but I I you know, I think if you look though that that group, I think there's a lot of there's a lot of talent there, a lot of names to be excited about. And Jayce Gilbert, Trevor Don coming back, Jack Limbaugh coming back. I know that they were excited to get him back. Um and Caden Crawford's huge, too. He like he's he's played a lot, you know, Jack Jenikowski, I think is going to be he didn't play a ton Saturday, but he I thought he I think he's a high upside. Malachi Ti'aese got a lot of run on Saturday, thought he looked pretty decent. Zamir Hawk to me looks like a guy that we we are seeing his like we are we're seeing his This is the off season that Zamir Hawk really makes the jump. Um, that's what it feels like to me. You know, in that interview, he's confident. Um, it it seems though that to me as though he's treating this as like this is his chance This is his room. He can go in and be the leader and run this thing and you know and you know, he he and Isaac Terrell have you know, the potential of those two as far as just a duo on the interior of a defensive line is really, really exciting. I think that I think they're going to make an a really, really good defensive tackle pair on the on that defensive line. Definitely. Um, and I I going back to Friday, watching Dom Orange get drafted, having Zamir Howze under him for the last 2 years, however many 3 years, 2 years I think. Um Yeah, 3 years. >> been here. Um being able to learn from him and the guys other guys in the room, I think it's going to be a real coming out party for him uh come September 5th for the for Sema. Yeah, and I like there's and there's another guy there's other guys in there too that are really like Max Balloon is probably going to be in there. He's probably going to do some stuff. You know, you get um uh Bryson Lamb is in there. I you know, they've got a lot of options on that on that defensive line that like as soon as they get as soon as and I really think nice be the nice thing is you can lean on Zamir Howze and Isaac Terrell to really anchor the interior of that defensive line where you know, even if you're still like trying to figure out exactly who your top two pass rushers are going to be on the edge those two guys in the middle being able to anchor the interior of that defensive line, I think is a really special combo that's going to make that group the floor of that group is going to be really high when you can have those two guys um sitting there at tackle and just kind of and eating up space in the middle of that defensive line. Um that's going to be that'll be a nice pairing there for sure. Yeah. And you got to like their chances against the power running games of the big 12 conference anyway a lot better than the the 3-3-5. The linebackers, I came away impressed the most of of any position group on Saturday. I think I came away the most impressed with the linebacker group. They were as good as advertised. I know I we you know, you and I both been excited about them about the different guys have had they have in the room. Um I I came away feeling very very good about the linebacker group. Uh starting group was Sullivan Shlemgen, Carson Willock and then they had Willie Breland outside at the nickel spot. Um a lot of times they had Willie Breland Breland out there. He He safety out of Mississippi Gulf Coast and then they had him lined up they have him on on the roster as a linebacker, but they lined him out at the nickel spot, which is kind of like a hybrid linebacker safety spot in this offense. Uh they played him out there. The other guy that they um the other guy that they ran out there a few a few guys were out there, but um then you had another group there with uh Tristan Exline, who I was very very high on coming out of his out of out of D2. Tristan Exline laid the wood on some people. Like that guy is that guy is smart, he's athletic, he's super aggressive. Man, he he's a there'll be there'll be times where I was still run a true 4-3. You'll have you know, at some point they'll have like they'll have Exline they'll have Exline Schlemmer again and Carson Willock out there at the same time, and that's a that's a nutso linebacker group. That that's a that's a really really high-end linebacker group. Um in power run situations it it when they can sit in a true 4-3 and run those three linebackers out there, they're going to be very difficult to run the ball against. Mhm. Yeah, I thought Exline really highlighted on Saturday. He flew around the field making plays when when he was on there. He really impressed me. Yeah. You could I mean you could there was a couple times you you could hear the you could hear the pads pop from up in the stands when when Exline was laying wood on people. It was it was something to watch, man. It was you know I the last time I I got like I was really excited about a linebacker coming out of a smaller school you know out of a lower level that was coming up was um uh he came out of he came out of Delaware. I I just had his name on my head now I can't I >> Colby Reader. Colby Reader. Colby when I watched Colby Reader at Delaware, I was like man this guy's just like Micros 2.0. I was like that was really excited for him. And then he got up to NC State and dealt with some injuries, but he was it also just like just wasn't fast enough. He didn't fit in the defenses as much as I would have liked him to fit. Uh it just didn't really work out as much as as well as I was hoping it would. Boy, if Truson Eskline looks in a regular game like he did in that spring game then look the [ __ ] out for I would say it's linebacker group cuz Schlimgen and Willock were all over the place. Willock playing at like 220 instead of 240 looked like I mean he looked fast. I mean he was he looked fast, he looked carefree and he looked he was agile, he was all over the place, he looks like he can drop in coverage and keep up with, you know, good chunk of receivers and stuff like that. I mean it it you can tell that they're having those linebackers are having a whole lot of fun just flying around in that defense. And oof. I I would say this front seven on defense next year is really good. Really interesting. >> Yeah. Donny wanted to know what I was drinking. It's a uh it's a Jose Pumseco. It is a draft it is a draft um from Aluvial Brewing. It is a fruited sour with passion fruit, orange, and mango. It is it is good. Quite citrusy. I'm boring. I'm just drinking an orange cream sparkling ice. Can't go wrong. Also very good. Um yeah, it it to me if you if you're coming away with like who was the best group on Saturday, I'm going to I'm going to say the linebackers. I'm I've been high on them. I'm still high on them and maybe more high on now that I was before because they've got they've got three to five dudes that that you can run out there on any given play and feel like and and Willie Breeland was out there playing nickel. He's technically a linebacker, but he's, you know, he's he played safety last year. He's kind of in that 215-ish range where he's just kind of right in between. He can play both. Um he was good, too. He did a he did a nice job. They've got a really great group of linebackers that you can put out there for really any type of situation whether you whether it's a a known passing, you know, known passing down, power run situation, goal line situation. You know, when you have that kind of speed and that agility, especially to go laterally and get vertical and and lay the and lay the wood on some people, Mhm. >> [sighs] >> This is the time right now is to get get excited about Iowa State's defense for next year. They're going to be underrated on underrated on the video game because you have a lot of guys coming up from lower levels and stuff like that and they're just naturally going to be underrated in the game. By the like if if they were being properly rated, Iowa State's defense would be I think right now would be somewhere in the neighborhood of like an 85 or better. Yeah. >> I just I think they're that good. I'd give it four games. I I think after the first big 12 game, that will be when they establish themselves, I think. Yeah, I just I'm I am super excited. Like I think they will give like when Utah comes to town um in late September, I think they're going to give Utah a ton of problems cuz Utah wants to run the ball. And they want to do with the quarterback and all this and guess what? Now you have linebackers that can actually keep up with a running quarterback. They're fast enough to do that now. You don't have some big lugs at 250 lbs trying to just plug the gap and hope the safeties come down and take care of it. You've got a very good defensive line and you've got linebackers that can keep up with any running quarterback on the schedule. And they are not going to be afraid to make that dude regret running out of the pocket. And I'm telling you, I don't know if we're going to win that game. I don't know if the offense is going to be that good. What I do know the defense is going to be crazy. The defense is going to be really good. Yeah, I'm very very excited about the defense. Yeah. Let's go back >> are going to be deep. Yeah, they are. Absolutely. Let's move back to the secondary. Um This is a I know uh our our friend Jackson Pentz of Cyclone Fanatic has been very very high on the corners this year. I am cau- I I am not quite as high on the corners as he is. I'm more cautious about it. I think that like the ceiling is high. I'm more cautious about it. Um Part of that excitement for the secondary, I think in general for the group, a lot of that comes from what David Coffee returns, and we knew he would probably be in that first one of those first couple safeties. He was very good on Saturday. I think David Coffee is a legit number one corner that you can leave him out on an island if you want. Um And then the other one was Jaheim Singletary coming over from Arkansas, former five-star you know, former five-star recruit. I was not as high on Jaheim Singletary only because I had heard from people at Arkansas that he was pretty shaky there. Whatever that means, I don't know. But there's talent, there's athleticism, and he can do something. Keon Washington, I thought played well. He actually did get in the middle of that, he got dinged up a little bit. He was I thought I I immediately said, "Oh [ __ ] we have another goddamn knee injury in in the in the secondary." Fortunately, he came back in like five or six plays later, and it was no big deal. But then you've got Ben Enwonwu who didn't He did not play, but you know, his obviously, his physical potential is is right on par with like Damarri Overstreet. It's as far as just like an absolute alien of a human being that you know, when when the light switch can when the light switch comes on, he's going to be phenomenal player. Yep. And I think it's going to be another thing with trying to find the right fit. I mean, we saw Darian Porter and the change that he made, and he was a uh pick to the Raiders, and he's one of the top corners on their team now. Um so, I think if Ben Enwonwu can make that similar sort of jump, um or even try to find the right fit, and if he gets in there, makes some good plays, he's he's he's a guy that has very high upside at the corner position. So, Seth Johnson also had a nice day out there. He's the Montana State transfer. I think right now, I would I think my projected top two would be Coffee and Keion Washington. I think I think but Jaheim Singletary and Seth Johnson I think are right there behind them. And Negoye is somewhere in there. I think just him being healthy would make that a little bit easier to project. Um I think you feel pretty good about like your first five corners probably. Yeah. And you know, which you don't generally need five corners, but um >> [clears throat] >> you know, I think the corners are good. They'll be very solid. I have I have really don't have any worries about them. Mhm. Um go back to the safety spot. Uh with obviously Braden Alls out now, you know, Drew Surgers is going to be up there. You're going to have uh Michael Harper is probably going to be involved in that rotation somehow for sure. Um that group's got to find their their rhythm a little bit. Like I I don't think they were bad or anything like that. They're just like they they've got to find their rhythm. They've got to establish their starters. But you know, if there's a if there's any sort of a weak spot on the team, it's maybe on the defense it's maybe safety and that's only because of the Alls injury. And I think they they've got they've got some nice players in there that I think will they'll be there. Like when when when you know, when they kick off against Southeast Missouri, I think you're going to feel just fine about the safeties. Yeah. It will be interesting interesting to see if they if that safeties group doesn't have a guy that steps up, could you see a corner a DB going sliding back into that safety spot? They could maybe My guess is that because of the flexibility and the athleticism you have at linebacker, my guess is they would be inclined to stick with a to just kind of sit into a 4-3 with an with a with one of like a like a Willie Breeland or something like that out there as one of the other as a third linebacker out there to just be an extra safety sort of. Um my guess is they would try to do that and so you'd be running kind of a 4-3-4 type of thing. Yeah. My guess is you would do that and then in like an obvious passing situation, then you bring on an extra corner, put put Ben Niemann-Griffin back there and say at free safety or something like that. You could do something like that for sure. Um We'll see. Um I I I think they'll be I think they'll be fine. Like I I think Mike Harper and Drew Sanders will be a perfectly fine duo duo safeties back there. Mhm. Drew Sanders is the definition of like he's fine. He's not great. He's just fine. Um makes some good plays, makes some plays where you're just like [ __ ] I wish we had somebody else in there. Um and that's just that's just what it is. I For what it's worth in the in the previous defense it did feel like Drew Sanders he wanted to be more of a ball hawk and but that defense doesn't want doesn't really want a ball hawk. It wants just a guy that's just going to be there and knock a pass down and be done with it type of thing. Um Yeah. >> This defense is going to want him to be a little bit more of a ball hawk. And I think that will benefit him. Like he'll he will be like once in a while he'll be able to jump an out you know, jump a dig route or something like that or jump an out route. You know, he'll be able to do something like that and I think that's I think that's notable that like this this defense will probably benefit his skill set a little bit better. Um especially cuz you know, one of the things I wanted to touch on as kind of a whole for the entire defensive unit is that as I as we suspected going in, uh they played a whole lot more man defense on Saturday than we have seen they played more more snaps of man defense on Saturday than we've seen the last 10 years combined. Um and we kind of thought that was coming in if you want go back and watch Wazzu tape, they play tons of man defense and they are they're really good at it. And you've got the you've got the athleticism on this defense to be able to do that. I think and I I they'll be able to get away with it. Especially cuz the the Big 12 is not nearly as they're not everybody's nearly as much of a speed demon as they used to be. Like if you remember back like in the the mid-2000s like really the mid-aughts somewhere where really in the heyday of like the the Big 12 for air raid offense era. Like Baylor and TCU and Oklahoma, Oklahoma State like those teams had just outrageous speed everywhere. Like they like the fastest like 10 people in college football all played receiver for those four teams. Like it was they had they had an unbelievable amount of speed on those teams. And it was hard to play it would be really hard to play man defense cuz almost assuredly your corners were not fast enough to keep up with their receivers. It just wasn't going to happen. Like you don't you didn't have a corner that was keeping up with Corey Coleman or Josh Doctson or Tyreek Hill, you know, you like they weren't they weren't keeping up with them. And so it made more sense to just sit just drop back in the zone and let them and and not let them get over the top and make them be patient underneath. Now the big the defense the or the Big 12 offenses aren't nearly as speed heavy. Um you see a lot more power run attacks. Mhm. You you have plenty and you and you have plenty of you know athleticism on the defensive side now that you can match up man-to-man. I think that will be awesome. I think it'll be it'll be if you're are you going to give up some more big plays cuz someone gets beat? Probably. That'll happen. Um but if you give up three more long touchdowns a year, but you get five more picks, that's all you need. That's then then it's a win. That's a net positive right there. Yeah. >> And that's that's the thing is that Iowa will be more aggressive on defense. They will gamble a little bit more, which I love, because I've get I've been I've gotten very tired of watching Iowa run the 4-3 defense for the last 20 [ __ ] years and they have if you look cuz if you look at the list of like team interceptions over the last like 10 or 15 years, it's Iowa and then like 100 picks and then somebody else that's not nearly as good at forcing turnovers as Iowa is. It's been It's been frustrating the last 10 years. Like our defense has been really good. It's been hard to You can't argue with the results of the defense. >> No. But but if there's if there's anything you can complain about is that that defense did not generate a lot of turnovers. Mhm. And I like generating turnovers. >> [laughter] >> Uh you know, I'd rather I'd rather take a few more risks, give up an extra big play or two because you know, an extra big play or two, maybe you leave a guy open but the quarterback might miss him downfield or something like that. Like it doesn't mean it's guaranteed to be a big play. But if you turn over if you get get a pick you have if you get a a couple picks a game or a couple turnovers a game that's backbreaking for the teams especially if you can if you can control the ball with your running game like Iowa State is hoping to do. Mhm. That's backbreaking and I love love the idea of being able to grab a few more of those each year. Definitely. Yeah, and I think that's I think it's a it's a mindset switch. I mean, from the old defense they're they're a lot more conservative, wanted to keep things under all the time. They didn't get beat as over the top as much. Um but like then again, they also didn't force a lot of turnovers. They wanted to keep everything in front of them. Right. Get them behind the chains early down. So that way they had to throw long. Which is what we wanted them to do. Absolutely. So it's just a mindset switch, but I'm ready I'm ready to to see more turnovers. I I do like turnovers. >> I'm just ready to see something different. Mhm. I I won't lie. It was fun watching four four defensive linemen in some man defense. Felt good. I liked watching it. That's no hate on the 3-3 stack. I Yeah, that defense won us a lot of football games, but you know, at a certain point you need to say you know, this I think it was probably time for Iowa State to start looking at evolving their defensive scheme. And you know, were they still going to always continue to be a pretty solid defensive team? Yeah, probably. Um but if you want to step up and be better against these power running attacks, you know, the 3-3 stack might not be it. You know, that like the that that defense was built to beat Kyler Murray on an Oklahoma. It was built to beat Baker Mayfield. It was built to beat those old air raid teams and it did. It beat the hell out of them. They gave them tons of problems. Yeah, but it it was built to beat Will Grier at West Virginia. And it absolutely did that with flying colors. Yes. But the last few years, it's been getting exposed a little bit more by these more power running attacks, by mobile quarterbacks, things like that. It's like the the the everybody had the tape. Everybody knew like where the vulnerabilities were, where you'd be able to find space, where they what things you should do, what things you shouldn't do. Everybody knew that stuff. And you know, the the the the secret sauce to beating Iowa State on on offense was was out. Everybody had it. So, now you get to change it up. You can do something a little bit different. And now it's you know, you can play you can play man defense, which means that you can rely more on just winning your individual matchups, and they've got the athleticism and the talent to do that. I like this. I I think it's a great I think it's a great scheme switch. And now that I've gotten to see it in person, I think it's I think it's I think it's awesome. I think they're going to be very successful with it. I do agree. Yeah, Iowa State and Iowa are going to be the same [ __ ] football team this year. They're going to play really good defense. They're going to play ball control potentially shitty offense. Uh Iowa State will have a running quarterback, Iowa will not, but you know, that's kind of there. I've the punter the starting punter I I saw the Aussie kid, looked really good, had some nice had some nice kicks. Kyle Kennedy, still a beast. Not Yeah. That's >> No surprises there. That was that was a a lock as as lock of a lock as locks get. Backup punter, not great. Fortunately, hopefully, you don't really need to see him at all this year. Yeah. But, starter looked good. Kyle Kennedy looked good. They didn't do a ton on special teams, but Cody Jackson, you know, got some got got a couple looks as a punt returner. Flora and Pedway back there kick returner. They didn't let him do a ton, but Yeah, there there were no there were no punt returns that I saw. Nope. Which was good. Um Yeah. Overall though, I I'm glad it was it was nice to see it was nice to just see football being played at Jack Trice Stadium. It was It was nice to have that out there. Um Great weather, too. Yeah, for sure. I I'm coming away feeling the feeling even better about the defense than I did before. I'm feeling very hopeful. I'm feeling more optimistic about the passing game than I was before after seeing like what what you know, some of the balls that Re-enforce were throwing were throwing. And I you seeing Dom Overby be a more confident receiver. Seeing Evan Boyd being a pretty damn physically imposing in person. You know, Cody Jackson made some nice plays. I'm more optimistic about the about the passing game. I still I think right now I feel we assume the running game will be good. We assume they're going to use that to control the ball, but we just didn't get to see much of it on Saturday. Especially now with the starting running back. So, that still remains a question, but you know. Yeah. I think that'll really get ironed out especially once they settle on an offensive line as well. For sure. I think that I think the offensive line is definitely one of the biggest question marks moving forward. I think we didn't really see a whole lot of consistency um for guys and guys that we thought might get more on didn't. Um so it'll be interesting to see how how they move forward and what we hear from that. I would agree. Um I guess you get anything else you want to toss in here before we wrap her up or Um No, I think we covered most of it. I think um I think the receivers and the old line were the couple main parts that I wanted to Yeah. Um My takeaway is that I would say it's going to be like the defense is going to be good. They're they're going to be a good unit. I like I think I think it running the ball against Iowa State will be a tall task next year. Um We'll just we'll see what the safeties look like, but I I think the defense is it looked really solid. I think they will be I think I think by the time you get to October and November, I think you're going to have see a very very stout um Iowa State run defense especially. And the offense is going to be a work in progress. If the offensive line can gel and Jaylen Reagor can find some time or find some escape routes and you to be able to use his legs, I I feel cautiously optimistic about it. But like I said, I I feel I came away feeling better about the passing game and still questions with the running game. So Yeah. And that stuff, hopefully the running game will shore itself up as we get going, you know, as Jake Thornton has more time to develop these guys and more time to get them ready to go. Um and just get everybody in a rhythm. So yeah. I feel as good or better than I did going in. Definitely. I I think it was just good to see things in person, um see what they were see what coaches were talking about. Like the progress that people have been making, the competition between Flores and and Flores and Reagor. Um So, I I think I think it just really ironed out things um and it it gives us a lot of hopeful optimism for the future. Absolutely. So, we're going to wrap it up for this week. Uh appreciate everybody watching this episode of Vibe at Cyclone Life here on the Voice College Football. Uh we are going to be off next week. Carter and I both are going to be both out and uh we'll be back in a couple weeks to uh talk some more off-season stuff. We'll see uh maybe talk a little bit of Big 12. We'll see what happens with this Brandon Sorensen thing. Texas Tech might be in trouble. Uh and Cincinnati and Texas Tech both might both both might be in trouble here for different reasons. Um and uh I don't really care about Texas Tech losing their [ __ ] That's fine. I don't feel bad about it at all. Or Dan Wetzel saying, "Well, this is the first major gambling controversy." as if we didn't have our thing. But >> [laughter] >> Whatever. Anyways Anyways, thank you everybody for watching. Uh we'll be back in a couple weeks and uh we'll see you guys all again next time on this on Iowa State Cyclone Life here on the Voice College Football Network. For Carter, I am Levi. See you guys again in a couple weeks. Thanks. Show notes: Episode Notes: POST-SPRING FOOTBALL NOTES | Iowa State Cyclones LIVE #64 Hosts: Levi Stevenson & Carter Hanson Date/Context: Post-spring game recap (game in Ames on Saturday). Casual, detailed position-by-position breakdown after both hosts attended. Overall Impressions Strong emphasis on culture and toughness from the new staff. Midnight Alley drill (modified Oklahoma drill) kicked off the day with high energy, physicality, and mono-a-mono attitude — set the tone for the program. Brought over from NFL (Lions influence). Defense flew around and made plays; offense showed flashes but was inconsistent (especially OL). Team not the most talented ever, but will play hard and physical. Position Group Breakdown Quarterbacks Jalen Rayner : Clear starter for now; made nice throws, showed mobility (limited by no-contact). Zane Flores (note: pronounced "Floors"): Very close competitor; led both TD drives, threw multiple "dimes" (e.g., to Cody Jackson and Aiden Flora on wheel route). Not just a backup — pushing hard. Connor Moberly : Clear #3. Walk-on Wyatt Boehm got late snaps. Future: Hudson Curlin (incoming) has high arm talent. Takeaway : Battle between Rayner/Flores is real and healthy; both showed Big 12-caliber throws. Running Backs Aiden Flora & Cam Pedaway : Clear 1-2 punch (wore no-contact jerseys). Elite return tandem — possibly best in Big 12. Jaden Jackson & others (Easton Miller) got most live reps but didn’t challenge the top two. Incoming: Caleb Pressley (or similar); Isaiah Hansen noted. Takeaway : Running game limited in spring game due to OL/no-contact, but top duo looks strong. Receivers / Tight Ends Evan Boyd : Emerging WR1 — big, physical body (Lazard/Petway-like). Dom Overby : Breakout candidate; confident, good hands, deep threat potential (6'5", athletic background). Cody Jackson (Tarleton/Oklahoma): Impressive in slot/jet sweeps; consistent targets. Amari Hayes (Tulane transfer): Expected in top 3 (slot); looked quick in drills. Others: Carter Pabst (limited by hammy), Trevor Fortenberry (surprise contributor). Tight ends: Raw, mostly blockers for now; not heavily featured in new offense. Projected starters : Boyd, Hayes, Overby. Strong depth. Offensive Line Inconsistent; rotated heavily. Defense clearly ahead. Messiah King limited with first team (injury?). Garrett Rutledge got first-team reps (highly regarded by staff). Others: Braden Smith, Moss, Colin Amick, etc. Takeaway : Biggest question mark; too early for firm two-deep. Joe Thornton expected to sort it out. Defensive Line Impressive even without Isaac Terrell. Standouts: Zemir Hawk (emerging leader/jump year), Caden Crawford (high-upside transfer), Jack Janikowski, Blake Hawkins, Malachi Tease, Max Balloon, etc. Takeaway : Strong interior anchor potential with Hawk + Terrell. Linebackers Most impressive group on the field. Starters: Sullivan Schlemgen, Carson Willick, Willie Breland (nickel/hybrid). Tristan Exline (D-II): Stood out — flew around, laid wood, aggressive. Depth: Excellent rotation; can run true 4-3 sets. Takeaway : Fast, physical, versatile — huge upgrade for power run and mobile QB defense. Secondary Corners : David Coffey (reliable #1), Keon Washington, Jaheim Singletary (former 5-star), Seth Johnson, Ben Nagoya (high upside, health key). Safeties : Braden Alls out (still on roster for ratings); Drew Sergis, Michael Harper. Rhythm needed. More man coverage shown (big shift from past scheme). Takeaway : Athletic enough for man; ceiling high. Special Teams Punters: Kyle Conradi (beast), Aussie kid strong. Returns: Flora/Pedaway primary; Cody Jackson tried on punts. Clean day overall. Other Notes EA College Football Ratings speculation : Defense favored (high 70s–low 80s overall?); offense lower initially due to new pieces. Braden Alls boosts roster. Expect ratings to rise. Scheme shift under new staff: More aggressive, man-heavy defense → more turnovers expected (trade-off for occasional big plays). Optimism: Defense looks stout (run defense especially); offense a work in progress but passing game showed promise. Final Takeaways Defense (front 7 especially) is ahead and exciting — should be a strength. Offense gelling (OL key); QB competition healthy. Positive vibes post-spring; program building toughness and identity. Great listen for detailed Iowa State spring ball insights and early 2026 season outlook.