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Iowa State

Cyclones · Big 12

Head coach Jimmy Rogers Year 1 with Iowa State

Year-1 HCs (2015-2024) averaged -0.19 W vs. preseason expectation

Season Projection · 2026 W5

10,000 sims
6.2
Expected wins
6-5
Proj record
3 to 9
Win range (90%)
#52 (18–91)
Final rank (90%)
2%
Make playoff
1%
Win conference

Path to Glory

Tap a win or a loss on each pivotal game to see how the playoff probability shifts. Leave any game unset to average across both outcomes.

Make the playoff

2%

Baseline projection.

  • at BYU
    Away · Oct 10
  • at BYU
    Away · Oct 10
  • at BYU
    Away · Oct 10
  • at BYU
    Away · Oct 10
  • at BYU
    Away · Oct 10

Pivotal games are the 5 with the largest playoff-probability swing, ranked by the model. Math: chained Bayesian log-odds update from the conditional simulation set; gets the directionally right answer but won't perfectly capture cross-game correlations until the full Monte Carlo pipeline lands.

Returning production · 2026

12 score
  • Quarterback 1% (2/5 )
  • Offensive line 29% (6/21 players)
  • Skill (RB/WR/TE) 5% (12/33 )
  • Front 7 (DL/LB) 15% (9/30 )
  • Secondary 15% (9/24 )
  • Special teams 14% (5/8 )

Share of last season's production each unit returns. Higher means more continuity: 70%+ is healthy, 45–70% a normal rebuild, under 45% a major turnover.

Portal additions · 2026

+2.4 rating

44 proven transfers in, carrying the production below from their prior school.

  • Isaac Terrell DE ← Washington State 195 impact
  • Braden Awls S ← Toledo 186 impact
  • Jaylen Raynor QB ← Arkansas State 157 impact
  • Malcolm Jones LB ← Jacksonville State 125 impact
  • Tyler Fortenberry TE ← Arkansas State 115 impact
  • Omari Hayes WR ← Tulane 94 impact

Impact scores offensive skill additions (QB/RB/WR/TE) — prior-season production normalized within position (100 ≈ a 90th-percentile producer at that spot) and discounted for non-FBS competition, so a top back counts alongside a top quarterback. Defensive and O-line additions count as transfers but aren't box-score measurable, so they carry no impact score. The rating figure is this class's portal contribution vs. the FBS average, capped at ±2.5.

Situational efficiency · 2025

FBS percentile rank
  • 3rd-down conversion 36.5% 47th — average
  • Red-zone TD rate 15.0% 53th — average
  • 4th-down aggression 45.2% 86th — strong
  • Late & close 5.0 yds/play 48th — average

Percentile is across all FBS teams with play-by-play data for the season. "Late & close" is yards per play in Q4+ with a one-score margin — a proxy for clutch offensive performance.

Schedule

Full 2026 slate. Tap a row for the matchup breakdown.

Latest Stories

  • Recap

    Iowa State: 2026 Week 3 recap

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  • Recap

    Iowa State: 2025 Week 16 recap

    Iowa State sits at No. 33 overall with an 8–4 record after a 20–13 road win over Oklahoma State in Week 14. The Cyclones' 9.9 rating reflects a team that's found its footing in Big 12 play, grinding out wins in the trenches rather than…

More coming

Per-team pages get the full treatment in Phase 3: current rating, season projection histogram, schedule with win probabilities, and live overlays on Pylon stream days. For now, this page exists so stories and news have a permanent home as content rolls in.