During the ISU football media day in early August, coach Paul Rhoads was adamant that this season’s team is the most talented he has coached in his three years at the helm of the program.

Yet being the most talented Cyclone team, he said, does not automatically yield success.

“Going into the summer meetings and media outings like this, I’ve said that this would be our best football team,” Rhoads said. “But we’ve got to go out and prove that, and the kids have got to go out and prove that.”

Returning for the Cyclones this season is star linebacker tandems Jake Knott and A.J. Klein — who combined for 241 tackles last season — to anchor the defense.

Knott is returning this season having underwent surgery on his right forearm last spring. However, recovery was not an issue.

“I got surgery on a Friday, and I was lifting on Monday,” Knott said. “I came straight from surgery to practice just because I can’t stand not being around the team.”

Knott, who finished third in the Big 12 in total tackles with 130, is expected to bear a significant amount of the brunt for the defense along with Klein.

“We always want to be the playmakers on the field.  We always want to be the ones that are counted on,” Klein said. “We want to be the solid part of the defense.”

One key aspect of the defense that was lacking last season was putting pressure on the opposing quarterback. However, offseason improvement of the defensive line will help aid in doing so.

“The defensive line this spring did an outstanding job,” Klein said. “They’ve done a lot better. They came a very long way and they’ve improved, and I think they’ll have a better season this year, which hopefully will take a little pressure off us linebackers and safeties in turn.”

A battle for the starting spot of running back between Shontrelle Johnson, Jeff Woody, James White and Duran “Duck” Hollis has not yet indicated a clear-cut starter. All four are expected to receive playing time in their own capacity this season.

“The running back position is extremely exciting,” said offensive coordinator Tom Herman. “We went from our first year here to really having one BCS-level running back now to really having four with two freshmen that are chomping at the bit, too, so it’s an exciting position we’re in there.”

The receiving corps has been touted as much-improved from years past with the emergence of Jarvis West and Josh Lenz with the key addition of Aaron Horne, who transferred from City College of San Francisco.

Senior Darius Reynolds said he expects the receivers to be more involved in the offense after finishing 11th in the Big 12 in passing offense last season.

“I feel like last season we weren’t really involved as a whole group,” Reynolds said. “I mean, a couple people made a couple plays here and there, but we’ve got to be more consistent in making plays, we’ve got to make a lot more plays with that spread offense.”

Reynolds was sidelined with a broken toe on Aug. 17. He is expected to miss two to three weeks, making it a stretch for him to make the opener against Northern Iowa.

The Cyclones, who finished 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the Big 12 last season, now have a conference schedule that has them playing all nine teams in the Big 12 after the departures of Nebraska to the Big Ten and Colorado to the Pac-12 this past July.

Playing nine conference games and only three non-conference games in place of the previous format of eight conference and four non-conference games may not be favorable for the Cyclones, but it has not discouraged them in looking forward to the season.

“I’m really excited,” said junior defensive tackle Jake McDonough. “That’s the whole reason I came into the Big 12 Conference, is to play those kind of teams, play every team in the Big 12.  And now that we get the chance to play all the teams, it’s really exciting.”

Whether Rhoads’ “most talented” squad is up to the task of playing a nine-team conference schedule is yet to be determined.

“This is our most talented team, for sure,” Rhoads said. “Whether it becomes our best football team remains to be seen. But those guys going out and doing what you’re talking about will take us to that position.”