After an eventful offseason for Iowa State football that saw players such as Breece Hall be selected in the NFL Draft, a group of defensive backs transferring and the Cyclones picking up some big-time commitments, football season is now just over a week away.
Read what sports editor Andrew Harrington, football reporter Christian Royston and assistant sports editor Hailey Dohnal predict for the Cyclones this year.

Breakout Player
Andrew Harrington – Deon Silas
Admittedly, the Cyclone running back room is a bit crowded coming into the season. Jirehl Brock will likely take the lead running back role, while Silas, Eli Sanders and Cartevious Norton will battle for the remainder of the reps.
Silas ran the ball 13 times in his freshman season, racking up 78 yards and three touchdowns. Despite the limited attempts, Silas’ explosiveness was evident, rattling off a couple of impressive runs.

Christian Royston – Beau Freyler
With how talented the defensive back room will be in the upcoming season, Freyler will have to shine if he wants to make a name for himself. The sophomore safety should be in a good position to make a significant impact throughout the year. In his freshman season, Freyler did play in all 13 games, recording 41 total tackles on the year with great performances against Kansas and West Virginia where he had eight and three tackles, respectively.
However, Freyler didn’t get his first start until the final game of the year as the Cyclones took on Clemson in the Cheez-It Bowl. He turned heads against Clemson as he recorded 15 tackles, which tied him for the third-most by a Cyclone in a bowl game and broke the freshman record. Now, as he looks to settle into the No. 2 role alongside Anthony Johnson Jr., Freyler will have many more opportunities to help the Cyclones on the defensive side of the ball.

Hailey Dohnal – Jirehl Brock
This Cyclone running back has gotten the opportunity to witness some of the best Iowa State football from a variety of outstanding players. However, one of the biggest players he’s been able to watch and play alongside is Breece Hall, the newest New York Jet and No. 36 pick in the 2022 NFL draft. Along with having a great bond with Hall, Brock has continued to stay confident and now has the opportunity to follow in Hall’s footsteps. Brock is set to be the starting running back for the Cyclones this year and had a strong game in the Cheez-It Bowl against Clemson along with playing in all 13 games in the 2021-2022 season. Although coming out with a loss, Brock earned a season high in rushing yards (42), reception yards (21) and longest reception (9) in the game. Brock is taking on large roles and responsibility this year but will be prepared for whatever comes his way this season.

Potential Upset Win For Iowa State
Andrew Harrington- Nov. 12 at Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State is coming into the season ranked No. 12 in the AP Top 25. The Cyclones have battled closely with the Cowboys in recent years, with every matchup between the teams since 2015 finishing as one-score games.
In 2021 the Cyclones snuck away with a 24-21 Homecoming victory, with the fans storming the field afterward. This year I think that fans can expect another low-scoring game, with the Cyclones having a major opportunity to pull away with a win.

Christian Royston – Sep. 24 vs. Baylor
Baylor is going to be a tough team to beat in 2022; there’s no doubt about that. The Bears are coming off a Big 12 Championship win and are slated to hold the top spot in the conference at the start of the year. Not only that, Baylor is coming into the year ranked No. 10 in the AP Top 25. However, knowing all this, Iowa State is in a good spot to upset Baylor as the teams meet in the Big 12 opener.
The Cyclones were a hair away from taking down the Bears in 2021, losing by just two points in Waco, Texas. Now, Baylor has to take on Iowa State at home, which is a tall task considering Iowa State won the last two meetings in Ames. The Cyclones will have to play their best if they want to take down the Bears, but an upset victory might be the momentum they need for the tough Big 12 slate ahead.

Hailey Dohnal – Oct. 29 vs. Oklahoma
The Big 12 conference is full of competition and three Big 12 teams are currently ranked in the AP Top 25. Oklahoma State is ranked No. 12 while Baylor is coming in at No. 10. Oklahoma, however, has the highest Big 12 ranking at No. 9. In the 2021-2022 season, Iowa State fell a touchdown short to Oklahoma with a final score of 21-28 in Norman. The Cyclones will play the Sooners at home this season, making it a little easier to pull off a big win. The home-field advantage and atmosphere always make the game that much better for teams, but the Cyclones will have to perform their best to take the win. Iowa State knows what it’s like to beat a ranked team and is capable of doing it again.

Record Prediction
Andrew Harrington – 7-5
Iowa State experienced a lot of roster turnover on both sides of the ball. With Hunter Dekkers becoming the starting quarterback, it is difficult to gauge how the Cyclones will finish this season.
The Cyclones do have a few tough matchups this year including Baylor, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Iowa. I believe that the arm talent of Dekkers will allow the Cyclones to upset a couple of those teams. However, his inexperience may cause the team to lose a couple that it would have otherwise won.
Overall, I would argue that this team will do as well as Dekkers does.

Christian Royston – 8-4
It’s easy to expect the Cyclones to have a down year in 2022. They lost key players on both sides of the ball and are set to have a new quarterback at the helm in Hunter Dekkers. However, the team’s depth could shine this year, as pulling out eight wins on the year could be in the cards.
The Big 12 is a tough conference to come out on top, as the Cyclones might have issues keeping teams such as Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State at bay. Not only that, the Cyclones have to take on the Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa, which has been a tough place to pull out a win in the Cy-Hawk series in the past. Teams like Texas and Kansas State are also looking much improved from last year and have a shot to shock the conference.
The Cyclones have the talent on defense and the firepower on offense to pull out some upset wins in the Big 12 Conference and could reach the eight-win target if they swing those close games they had in the past in their favor.

Hailey Dohnal – 7-5
Iowa State lost some of its best players this season. With Brock Purdy and Breece Hall now in the NFL, it will be up to Hunter Dekkers and Jirehl Brock to fill their spots. Along with having new players in new positions, the Cyclones are still a fairly young team.
It can be difficult to adjust and will take time, but once they get the hang of it and stay consistent, they’ll be golden. As mentioned previously, Iowa State will play Oklahoma at home this year along with Baylor. This season may be filled with ups and downs, but Iowa State knows what to do, and a 7-5 record is a great place to start.