The 2026 college football season is the dawn of a new era for the Iowa State Cyclones.

For the first time in a decade, they have a new head coach. Matt Campbell departed this past winter, accepting the head coaching job with the Penn State Nittany Lions. He was replaced by Jimmy Rogers, who is undertaking a massive rebuild.

Unfortunately for the Cyclones, Campbell wasn’t the only person to go to Penn State. Virtually the entire coaching staff followed him, and more than 50 players entered the transfer portal, with 24 of them now being Nittany Lions.

There isn’t a single returning starter on the offense or defense, which puts Iowa State in a precarious position. With so many new faces, it is anyone’s guess how things will shake out on the gridiron this fall.

Iowa State at bottom of Big 12 rankings

Even with the unknowns, it is surprising to see the Cyclones at the bottom of the Big 12 power rankings done by Brett McMurphy of On3. In the 16-team conference, Iowa State has been placed dead last.

Rogers has a history of winning everywhere he has been. With the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, he went 27-3, including a national championship, before being hired by the Washington State Cougars.

He was in Pullman for the 2025 campaign and helped lead the team to a bowl game despite having 75 newcomers on the roster. A similar situation is occurring in Ames, where he has some familiar faces on the roster who have followed him from throughout his coaching stops.

There is some familiarity on the coaching staff as well, most notably defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit, who was the interim head coach for the bowl game victory. A few familiar faces, such as Isaac Terrell, who had seven sacks in 2025, will be leading that unit.

Iowa State has some talented players to lead the way

On the offensive side of the ball, Tyler Roehl makes a return to Iowa State as the offensive coordinator after a year with the Detroit Lions as their tight ends coach. Quarterbacks coach Keith Heckendorf comes from the Arkansas State Red Wolves, along with Jaylen Raynor.

Heckendorf was the offensive coordinator for Raynor, and that rapport will be key to helping the unit get on track. A true dual-threat, Raynor is spending his final year of eligibility with the Cyclones and was sold on Rogers' plans for the future.

While they are currently last in the power rankings, that could quickly change. There is some intriguing talent on the roster; it is just a matter of how fast things can gel, given how many new faces there are.