With a seven-win season and a bowl victory in the rearview mirror, ISU head football coach Dan McCarney stocked up on big bodies Wednesday, signing six players who played either offensive or defensive line in high school or junior college.

In all, 24 players signed national letters of intent to Iowa State.

The Cyclones return eight offensive starters, including most of the skill positions, seven defensive starters and their punter and kicker, leaving just a few holes to be filled through recruiting.

Along with the new linemen, McCarney also bolstered his tight ends, inking Walter Nickel II, Derrick Catlett, Trent Flander and Eric Schultz.

“We have about seven or eight kids in this class who can go on either side of the ball,” McCarney said. “There’s a lot of athleticism in this class.”

Two of those large bodies come from Utah, as twins Paul and Scott Fisher have transferred from Dixie State College.

“This is one of the best schools that recruited me, both out of high school and out of [junior college],” Scott Fisher said. “I like the coaches, and I looked at the young talent on this team, and in the near future it’s going to be pretty good because there are some talented guys who are young and who I’ll be able to play with for the next two years.”

Both Fishers, as well as Nickel, played together at Dixie State in Utah before moving on to the Cyclones.

McCarney said his job as a recruiter gets easier coming off of a winning season instead a 2-10 year like 2003.

“Your backs are against the wall when you’re coming off a season like a year ago,” McCarney said.

Even though an up-and-coming program is a strong enticement for a recruit, McCarney said, the people and atmosphere are what really draw the athletes.

“Iowa State University is, to me, an easy sell,” McCarney said. “Once we get young men on this campus, there are so many great things to recruit to and to sell.”

The Cyclones landed recruits from 12 states, getting six signatures from Florida.

“There is a lot of good talent down there,” McCarney said. “I think someone told me there are over 200 players who are leaving the state to go to Division I schools. We’re glad we have the bunch we have, and it’s going to help our chances to go there next year and in the future to go down there and get more of those great young men.”

Two quarterbacks also signed with Iowa State, as the Cyclones got Arkansas all-stater Brice Beck and Oklahoma all-state selection Houston Jones II.

Even with the push for out-of-state players, McCarney said his recruiting foundation is in Iowa.

“This program starts and ends with Iowa players first; then we go out of state,” McCarney said. “We got our share and Iowa got their share. It’s a good reflection of what we have here and at Iowa, great [teams] instate.”