In today’s world of college football, mass roster turnover has become the norm after coaching changes as players seek a new home, often either following the coach to their new destination or simply finding
a better fit if the new staff doesn’t suit their liking.
The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until January, so we almost assuredly haven’t yet seen the majority of the transfer announcements from the existing roster that we’re likely to eventually see, but we do have some early movement in terms of the signed recruiting class and some transfers to keep an eye on.
Transfers Out
I want to clarify that these are only known transfers. This is not a speculative list, just the guys we have seen officially declare an intention to enter the transfer portal.
Quentin Taylor Jr.
The redshirt freshman from Lake Minneola, FL announced his intention to enter the transfer portal even before the coaching change, so it may have been an inevitability anyways. Taylor played in ten games this past season after being forced into the lineup after the season-ending injuries to Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper.
Josh Patterson
Another young defensive back that gained playing time via the spate of injuries in the secondary, Patterson played in four games, but had all but left the team before the end of the season, as he didn’t even travel to Stillwater for the season finale against Oklahoma State.
Markell Chapman
Chapman came to Iowa State by way of Highland Community College in Kansas before the 2025 season, but did not play at all in 2025 after announcing his intention to transfer mid-season.
Karon Brookins
A freshman wide receiver from New Jersey, Brookings entered the transfer portal the day after Jimmy Rogers was introduced as the new coach. He did not play last season.
Zay Robinson
West Des Moines Valley product Zay Robinson elected to announce an intention to enter the transfer portal in January, but did mention an openness to coming back to Iowa State depending on how his conversations with the new staff go.
If you’re the type of person that likes to read into the tea leaves, Zay did retweet a Big 12 Conference tweet that said “FYI: Iowa is Cyclone State.” a few days after announcing his intent to transfer. That obviously may mean exactly nothing, but it at least tells you that Iowa State is a special place for him.
2026 Decommitments
QB Kase Evans
OL Owen Winder
OL Pete Eglitis
OL Ethan Beckman
WR Amarion Jackson
WR Kash Brock
TE Arley Morrell
LB Keian Kaiser
LB Barry Fries
DB Tyrell Chatman
DB Bryson Williams
P Lucas Tenbrock
New 2026 Commitments
WR Malcom Watkins
Watkins became the first player to officially flip his commitment from Washington State to Iowa State, helping to rebuild a recruiting class that lost a couple of receivers in Kash Brock and Amarion Jackson.
Watkins, a three-star prospect out of Bakersfield, CA (home of former Cyclone Kamari Cotton-Moya), looks the part of your prototypical modern route-runner that can flash on special teams and is a willing blocker in the running game. He’ll have a chance to compete early in a wide receiver room looking for consistency.
