College football recruiting has become a confusing place, and players are now more than ever choosing a team based on the chance it gives them to make it to the NFL.

This is not a shot at players whatsoever, if I were a recruit I would 100% do the same, but it has made things difficult for some of the non-powerhouses of the NCAA. That is why the things that Brock Purdy has done for the San Francisco 49ers can be a great thing for the Cyclones.

Yes, a major reason that fans are showing so much love for Purdy is because of the things he did during his time at Iowa State, yet his biggest impact could come in the future.

When high schoolers are seeing a Cyclone compete and succeed on a professional level, they may see what their own future could hold. At these top schools such as Alabama and Georgia, if the players become a starter there is a good chance they go pro. However, it is not easy to become a starter with how many other top recruits go there.

At a school such as Iowa State, these players can get a better opportunity to showcase their talents, and players can bet on themselves to climb onto draft boards.

Purdy is not the lone Cyclone to show that this staff can develop professional players, with Breece Hall also putting on a show before his season-ending injury. Hall was the favorite to win Offensive Rookie of the Year prior to getting injured, putting on an absolute show for the New York Jets once he got his opportunity.

At the end of the day, in order to bring in top talent, the school has to be able to develop the talent they already have. The Cyclones in the NFL showed that Iowa State can help players meet these standards, which may help the school bring in some high-level recruits.

Many fans have criticized the staff of Iowa State for not getting as much out of Purdy as the 49ers have, but I am not quite sold on that narrative. Purdy broke just about every single Iowa State quarterback record that there was to break in addition to leading the team to its best year in school history back in 2020.

The college and NFL games are so different from each other, and sometimes, players just have more success in one rather than the other. It is a lot more common for players to be better in college than in the NFL, but there are definitely examples the other way around.

This is a time for Cyclone fans to come together to watch one of the greatest players in their team’s history and enjoy it. Putting Iowa State on the map may come as a great bonus.