When Iowa State fell to Oklahoma in the second game of the season to fall to 0-2, coach Matt Campbell still found time to praise a redshirt freshman making his first career start.

This redshirt freshman, Campbell said, probably should have started in Iowa State’s season opening loss to Iowa.

That redshirt freshman — center Colin Newell — has made waves this season, earning a spot on an offensive line looking for young talent.

“I thought Colin Newell kinda steadied the ship for us,” Campbell said. “He played really, really good.

“His play from the beginning of the game to the end of the game was outstanding growth.”

Newell’s rise wasn’t necessarily expected, at least not this soon in his college career. Two years ago, he was still playing high school football for Ames High.

He made his first appearance at Jack Trice Stadium in Iowa State’s loss to Oklahoma, in front of his proud parents, grandparents and friends. It was a huge moment for the Newell family — Newell was born and raised an Iowa State fan and said he knew he wanted to be a Cyclone the moment he got an offer.

“It was really special,” Newell said. “Having family there, having friends there — they were proud of me.

“It was a really special moment for them, too. They’ve sacrificed so much for me and done so much for me, there’s no way I could repay them.”

He rose up the ranks last year in his redshirt season. Newell was named Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year and spent time at center, even though he had been listed as a guard out of high school and played tackle for Ames.

Campbell and the rest of the coaching staff have made a clear policy of having the best five linemen on the field, regardless of position. Newell’s ability to adapt to center within one season was a huge factor in getting him on the field.

“You forget that Colin Newell’s a redshirt freshman,” said Bryan Gasser, wide receivers coach. “He’s very mature. He’s kind of got that veteran vibe to him even though he’s only played a handful of games.”

Iowa State’s offensive line as a whole has struggled this year. The Cyclones’ offense has been one of the least effective in the Big 12 so far — the Cyclones are dead last in the conference in points per game, yards per game and rushing yards per game — and part of that is the offensive line.

“I just didn’t want to let anyone down,” Newell said.

The starting line has changed almost every week so far, with the same line starting only two games out of the four Iowa State has played. Newell’s consistency at center has been one of the strong points for an offense still searching for its identity.

Newell has drawn praise from other linemen, such as redshirt junior Julian Good-Jones and junior Josh Knipfel. Knipfel said Newell’s communication has been one of his best traits so far, which will help the offensive line going forward as Big 12 play picks up. It helped Iowa State move the ball against a tough then-No. 5 Oklahoma team in Newell’s first start.

“[The rest of the line] was super good with me,” Newell said. “They were helping me out in any way they can. Those guys are nasty and can move people, so that’s always nice to have next to you.”

Newell’s next task will be to help the rest of the offense grow like he did.