For the second straight spring, Bret Meyer and Austin Flynn are in the spotlight.

This season, though, the two will be working together — one on the receiving end of the other.

Last year the two spent the spring and much of the fall battling for playing time at quarterback. Meyer won that battle, and Flynn spent much of the season watching from the sidelines.

Now the two will line up together, with Meyer remaining under center and Flynn taking snaps as a receiver.

“I didn’t think I’d be doing as well as I have been, but at the same time I have a lot of improvement that I have to do,” Flynn said. “I know my role and that’s playing receiver. I’m excited right now and happy to do it.”

Even though the switch was just made, Flynn is already beginning to impress.

“He’s further ahead than I thought he would be at this stage,” ISU football coach Dan McCarney said. “He gets better and better. He’s so consistent, coachable and is one of the better blockers we have at wide receiver. He’s really established himself as one of the guys who is going to be an outstanding contributor at wide receiver.

“If we played tomorrow, he would play a lot at wide receiver.”

Flynn completed 24-of-58 passes during the 2004 season, throwing for 303 yards and three touchdowns all in the first five games of the season. In two years, Flynn has thrown for 1,541 yards and eight scores.

The athletic, 6-foot-1 junior from Texas gives the Cyclones a threat over the middle.

“He’s going to catch the ball; he’s going to go over the middle,” Meyer said. “He’s kind of a bigger version of Todd Miller, to me. He’s not afraid to take a hit.”

Flynn also brings another set of eyes to the field, using his background as a quarterback to help him see things develop on the field.

“It’s like having two quarterbacks on the field at once,” Meyer said. “Having two quarterbacks on the field is only going to help you.”

With Flynn moving to receiver, Terrance Highsmith is returning to quarterback, a more natural position for the senior.

“Highsmith, I think, has been more effective during his two weeks at quarterback and done a better job than he did at any time last year at receiver,” McCarney said. “He was below average at best at receiver, and I think he has a chance to be better than that at quarterback.”

There are several other Cyclones who will be lining up at different positions.

Fullback Ryan Kock will remain in the offensive backfield, but is also practicing with the defensive line. Kock has rushed for 37 yards and a score in his two seasons with Iowa State, with the touchdown coming in during the Cyclones’ bowl victory over Miami of Ohio.

Redshirt freshman Adam Carper is also shifting positions, moving from defensive secondary to linebacker.

“He looks like he has a chance to be really special,” McCarney said. “He’s going to be hard to beat out for the next four years.”

With so many players shifting from one position to another, Flynn sees the moves as an example of the team-first attitude in the Cyclone locker room.

“That’s why I think we have a great chance next year to be really good,” Flynn said. “I think our team attitude is whatever we can do to help out. That’s really exciting right now, the unselfishness that we have.”