AMES, Iowa (AP) — Coming off the best 10-year period in its football history, Iowa State is starting over under Jimmy Rogers after Matt Campbell left for Penn State and took two dozen players with him.
The 39-year-old Rogers understands the new version of the Cyclones will take some getting used to for the fans who in 2025 set a school attendance record at Jack Trice Stadium.
“I know there’s a lot of people that are skeptical and maybe hurt by the exodus
of players,” Rogers said Wednesday at the team's media day. “The reality is they were coming to Iowa State to support Iowa State and they want a football team that’s extremely competitive and wants to play and represent something bigger than themselves. We’re all in this together. I’m not saying it’s going to be an easy road throughout the season.”
Iowa State has no returning starters and leads the Football Bowl Subdivision with 82 newcomers, including 15 who came with Rogers from Washington State. Only nine of the new players transferred from Power Four schools, the same number who came from the second-tier Football Championship Subdivision. Mixed in are a half-dozen players from the Division II and NAIA ranks.
Rogers, who signed a six-year contract with a starting salary of $3 million per year, has done all he can to convince his players he believes in them. He acknowledged two weeks ago that he picked Iowa State to win the Big 12 championship in an On3 survey of conference coaches.
Las Vegas, however, has set the over-under for Iowa State wins at 4.5 and an unofficial media poll picked the Cyclones last in the Big 12.
“You don't want to focus too much on it because it can become a distraction if you allow it to,” quarterback Jaylen Raynor said. "It's something we've addressed. It's not something we'll use as fuel or motivation. But it does put a chip on your shoulder as a team. A lot of people don't expect us to do certain things. We're not too worried about that. We're worried about our own expectations and proving ourselves right rather than proving people wrong.”
Running back Aiden Flora, among 22 returning letter winners, said Campbell's departure had him feeling felt the same apprehension he did as an incoming freshman. Though he had been in the program for two years, Flora had to learn a lot of names and get comfortable with new teammates. The players spent as much time as possible together outside the football building forging bonds.
“I think we’re going to be very good,” Flora said. ”We’re ready to go out and play some football and be brothers on the field. Our connection is unbelievable right now, how close we are as a team."
The fear among fans is that the program will revert to its historical norm post-Campbell. The Cyclones haven't won a conference championship since 1912 — the longest drought in FBS — and their 678 all-time losses are the fourth-most in the highest division behind Northwestern, Wake Forest and Indiana.
All that makes what Campbell accomplished seem nearly miraculous at a school located far from prime recruiting areas and with a modest athletic budget.
The Cyclones had winning seasons eight of Campbell's last nine years in Ames — the same number they had over the previous 36 seasons under seven coaches. His 2020 and 2024 teams reached the Big 12 championship game, with the ‘20 team beating Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl and the ’24 team setting the school record with 11 wins.
Campbell was 72-55 and left as the all-time wins leader. His .567 winning percentage ranks best among ISU coaches over the past century.
Nine players who started in Iowa State's last game and seven others who played major roles are among 24 who followed Campbell to Penn State. The Nittany Lions' projected lineup includes five former Iowa State players on offense and three on defense.
Rogers had 75 newcomers in his only season at Washington State, and the Cougars finished 6-6 before winning a bowl game under an interim coach. Rogers said the Cyclones are further along in their development than the Cougars were last summer.
“This team has really bought into wanting to be special," he said, “blocking the outside noise and believing in themselves when nobody else in the country does.”
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