It is the most wonderful time of the year. Emotions are high with every fan and team believing they have a shot at a national title. Especially thanks to the new 12-team playoff format which allows squads like the Iowa State Cyclones to have their bar set to the max. Before Matt Campbell and the Cyclones even begin to think about December, they first have to get started in August with their first opponent set on Saturday at 2:30 p.m. versus the North Dakota Fighting Hawks.
“I almost hope [the mentality] does not shift,” Campbell told the media Tuesday about controlling his player's emotions ahead of the season-opening kickoff. “[The players] mindset day in and day out for the last six months should match a Tuesday practice in week one to week 12.”
One year ago, Campbell was not sure what his team would look like come week one. He did not even have a true starting quarterback as Rocco Becht and JJ Kohl split reps that first game versus UNI. This year is much different. With the transfer portal consistently impacting the college landscape as rosters are stripped of players, it is now rare to see the return of talent the Cyclones have produced.
In an ESPN article published last November, Tom VanHaaren wrote, “the 2019 season, just 6.4% of FBS rosters were made up of transfers, according to data from SportSource Analytics. That number grew to 20.5% of rosters in 2023.”
Iowa State sits comfortably with 18 returning starters. Nine on offense and nine on defense adding to the more experienced offensive line as well as great depth in both the receiver and secondary positions. Most importantly Iowa State starts the season knowing who will be under center. The 2023 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, Rocco Becht, will have most of the attention after bursting onto the scene last fall. Throwing for over 3,100 yards along with 23 touchdowns and 8 interceptions, the sophomore is now expecting to make greater leaps with a year under his belt.
“Last season our first game I felt like I was not that vocal since I was splitting reps and I did not feel like it was my place to talk,” Becht said. This season, I am excited to be out there with those guys and push them to their limits.”
Rocco will have great support with the return of star receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins who hauled in a combined 1,803 yards and 13 touchdowns. Campbell also took to the transfer portal and picked up Eli Green a receiver from North Dakota State to add even more weapons to the offense.
As a top-five defense in the Big 12 last season, defensive coordinator Jon Heacock described how perfect of a week one matchup the Fighting Hawks will present to his experienced defense.
“I think [North Dakota] is really mentally and physically tough,” Heacock said.
North Dakota is coming off a 7-5 season where they finished in a tie for third in the Missouri Valley Football Conference with a 5-3 record. The Fighting Hawks were a squad that was hit by the transfer portal with their senior quarterback, Tommy Schuster, deciding to finish out his collegiate career in East Lansing as a Spartan. Schuster threw for over 2,230 yards with 19 touchdowns in 2023. In 2024 the Fighting Hawks will more than likely send out junior Trey Feeney who only threw a total of 20 times a season ago. Iowa State’s experienced secondary is led by Beau Freyler, Jeremiah Cooper, and Malik Verdon helping a defense that tallied 16 interceptions (13 by returning players including five by Cooper). Heacock's defense should be salivating with the idea that the Fighting Hawks are rolling out with a brand new QB under center inside a hostile Jack Trice.
Prediction: Like most who followed this team closely last season, I see much potential in this Cyclone team. This could be Campbell’s most anticipated season yet, outside of 2021 and we all know how that ended. With the experience that is being brought back on each side of the ball and the fact that the Big 12 could legitimately have seven contenders for a title, there is no reason not to believe that Iowa State has a shot. I think week one in 2024 ends like 2023 with a dominant 31-14 victory over North Dakota.