Xavier Hutchinson and the Cyclones are ranked #50 on Athlon Sports’ Top 131 for the 2022 college football season
After a rather disappointing 2021 season, Matt Campbell enters his seventh season at Iowa State in rebuild mode. However, the feeling in Ames is that for a program that prides itself on being viable, the state of Iowa has young players ready to join and compete in the Big 12. Campbell, a three-time Big 12 Coach of the Year, has led Iowa State to bowl games in five of his six seasons at Ames. From the outside, a cooling-off period would not be a big surprise. However, that is not the expectation from within.
See also: Athlon Sports’ College Football Top 25 for 2022
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Iowa State Offensive Preview for 2022
Iowa State is losing star quarterback Brock Purdy, but the Cyclones haven’t looked at the quarterback transfer market during the offseason because they believe in their Purdy protégé, former four-star recruit Hunter Dekkers.
“He was able to learn from behind a guy like Brock Purdy who would help him ‘what to do’ and watch him pave the way and learn so much from him,” says Campbell.
Dekkers saw meaningful playing time during his redshirt freshman campaign, which put him in a good place mentally leading into the fall. He’s had time to mature behind the best quarterback to ever play Iowa State. Dekkers, who has a stronger arm than Purdy, will also be a threat with his legs.
How to replace running back Breece Hall? This task is easier said than done, but Junior Jirehl Brock will do his best. Brock came in the same recruiting class as Hall and was actually the higher-ranking prospect, according to some analysts. “Jirehl had to cope with some setbacks at times, but he really showed us that he can play at a high level,” says Campbell.
Iowa State needs to get better on offense, and moving senior Trevor Downing to center is a good start. Veterans across the board will start for Iowa State, which notably brings back Jake Remsburg after missing 2021 with an upper-body injury.
The tight end and wide receiver positions will be fascinating to watch during fall camp. Iowa State loses two of the best tight ends ever played in Ames in Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen. Youngsters Easton Dean and Tyler Moore will try to fill their shoes.
One gets the feeling that Campbell’s “Players, Formations, Plays” concept will be tested in 2022. With a wealth of talent and experience mixed with a bigger arm as a quarterback, the Cyclones could look to open things up more this season.
Two-time first-team All-Big-12 wide receiver Xavier Hutchinson is back, as is promising student Jaylin Noel, along with a host of other veteran wideouts.
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Iowa State Defense Preview for 2022
Defense was the Campbell-era staple at Ames. As is the case on offense, Iowa State has plenty of talent to replace in 2022, but having Will McDonald IV back on the sidelines for another round is a blessing. The perennial leader of the Iowa state career, McDonald is one of college football’s top rushers. As of 2020, McDonald’s 22 sacks are the second most nationally behind only Will Anderson Jr. of Alabama.
New names will make up the rest of the three-man front, but the state of Iowa believes it’s reloading at the first level. A household name, Isaiah Lee is primed to start and face multiple blockers in the middle. Blake Peterson is another guy who has a lot of reps and has earned his place, and he should be the man opposite McDonald.
“There’s so much flexibility in this group,” says Campbell. “Lots of talent, lots of guys who’ve played really good football and can go in and out.”
Replacing linebacker Mike Rose won’t be easy at the second level, but getting O’Rien Vance back for an extra season is huge. Vance has started 32 games for the Cyclones even after missing much of 2021 through injury.
Colby Reeder, an FCS Delaware graduate, is a former All-CAA linebacker and should start immediately. Hunter Zenzen, Gerry Vaughn and Jacob Ellis should all see plenty of playtime as well.
At the back end of the defense the loss of Isheem Young (moved to Ole Miss) hurts, as does the transfer of promising youngster Craig McDonald, although Beau Freyler played a lot of safety in the second half of last season. Iowa State loves its young cornerbacks Myles Purchase and TJ Tampa. Veteran Anthony Johnson Jr. has bailed out of the corner for his extra year of eligibility.
See also: Big 12 football predictions for 2022
Iowa State Specialists Preview for 2022
Both the pedaling and poking positions are completely open for fall camp. The spots are so open that it is difficult to project spring starters. It looks like Tyler Bittman and Tyler Perkins have the edge, but a full competition, consisting of two or three contestants for each spot, will start in August. Noel is the primary return man, averaging 6.1 yards on punt returns and 26.0 yards on kick returns last season.
Final analysis
The 2021 campaign may have been a bit of a disappointment for fans in Ames, but the good news for the state of Iowa is that a 7-5 season can now be considered disappointing. That was unthinkable five years ago.
There’s a feeling Campbell relishes the challenge of filling his roster with young, hungry and talented players.
Expectations for this season will undoubtedly be significantly lower compared to last year’s roster, but if a few things go to Iowa State, the difference between wins and losses could be negligible.