2026 Iowa State Football Depth Chart

Iowa State’s QB situation is about as settled as any in the Big 12 despite a total program overhaul. Jaylen Raynor arrives from Arkansas State — his old offensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf is now the Cyclones’ QB coach — after throwing for 3,361 yards at a 66.5% clip with 19 TDs and running for another 423 yards and 7 scores in 2025. He’s a plug-and-play dual-threat starter with 36 games of starting experience under the same scheme that new OC Tyler Roehl is importing. Behind him sits Oklahoma State transfer Zane Flores (1,454 yards as a freshman, 6’3/215), a developmental arm with upside, while holdover Wyatt Bohm provides veteran depth as QB3.

The skill position group is a massive rebuild. The backfield lost all three scholarship contributors to Big Ten schools, leaving Oregon State transfer Salahadin Allah as the lead back by default. Allah had 74 carries over two seasons with the Beavers, making him inexperienced but the most seasoned option available. MAC Freshman of the Year Cameron Pettaway (365 rush yards, 900 all-purpose, Bowling Green) profiles as the change-of-pace scat back. The WR room is headlined by Cody Jackson, who posted 799 yards and 6 TDs at Tarleton State in 2025 and was a top-100 high school recruit — he’s the clear-cut WR1 and most dynasty-relevant non-QB on this roster. Tulane transfer Omari Hayes (515 yards on 39 catches) slots in as the reliable slot WR2.