Iowa State:
Abu Sama III – Running back
Entering Saturday’s matchup against Northern Iowa, the running back room still had question marks as the game was meant to see which running backs stood out the most. One of those backs that stood out the most was true freshman Abu Sama III.
Sama finished the game with six rushes for 40 yards but had a breakout run for 26 yards in the second quarter that eventually led to a Cyclones touchdown. On that specific run, Sama showed flashes of the potential he could have on the growing Iowa State offense.
Now he faces an Iowa defense that gave up 126 total rushing yards on 24 attempts when it faced off against Utah State. Expect Sama to get more of the workload during the big matchup against the Hawkeyes.
Jeremiah Cooper – Defensive back
Iowa State had some big-name defensive backs coming into the season with T.J. Tampa and Myles Purchase being names of note. But the biggest name to come out of the past weekend’s win against UNI was defensive back Jeremiah Cooper.
Cooper had a performance that will certainly be remembered for some time, as he came away with two interceptions, one of which he took back for six points. He also collected four total tackles in the game that eventually led Iowa State to a season-opening win.
Cooper showed flashes of greatness over the weekend to show that he could be a vital piece to a Cyclones defense that played exceptionally well against UNI. Look for Cooper to continue his solid play against an Iowa offense that left some questions unanswered against Utah State with quarterback Cade McNamara at the helm.
Easton Dean – Tight end
Unlike the other two players mentioned above, tight end Easton Dean had a quiet performance in Saturday’s win over UNI. Dean came into the matchup as the starting tight end as he has been in this system for the past couple of years to earn his spot in the lineup.
Dean finished the game only catching three passes for 21 yards on the day. However, his position group was the one to watch Saturday as two different tight ends scored touchdowns against the Panthers.
Dean has shown in the past that he could be a big piece to the Cyclones offense and is still slotted in as the starter for the weekend’s clash versus the Hawkeyes. Iowa may not have given up many yards to Utah State’s tight end group from this past weekend, but expect Dean to have a bounce-back game for Iowa State on Saturday.
Iowa:
Cade McNamara – Quarterback
McNamara seemed to do just enough to get Iowa its first home win of the season against Utah State. The Michigan transfer finished his day completing 17 out of his 30 passes for 191 yards while slinging two touchdown passes as well.
He now faces an Iowa State defense that made Theo Day’s season opener look underwhelming. The Cyclones limited the Panthers to only 174 passing yards throughout the whole game while also only allowing one passing touchdown.
McNamara does have the talent to take his team to the next level as shown by his previous years with the Wolverines. He most certainly will be a name to watch on Saturday as he looks to show his talents against a stout Cyclones defense.
Tory Taylor – Punter
Tory Taylor has been Iowa’s punter for four seasons now, and he has been a major reason for the Hawkeye’s success as of late. The Australian native continuously pins opposing teams down deep in their own territory as 98 of his 208 total punts land inside the 20-yard line.
Taylor continued to show his talents this season, as in his game against Utah State he finished the day punting the ball six times for a total of 292 yards. Three of those punts landed inside the 20-yard line which had the Aggies pinned back multiple times throughout the game.
Taylor even had a long of 53 yards on one of his punts against Utah State. If Iowa State’s defense is able to hold Iowa’s offense to multiple three-and-outs throughout the game, watch for Taylor to have a big game for the Hawkeye’s special teams unit on Saturday.
Cooper DeJean – Defensive back
DeJean’s name is expected to be thrown around a lot this season with each team that the Hawkeyes face. The noise around his name is warranted as he is expected to be one of the best available defensive backs in the upcoming 2024 NFL draft class.
DeJean made his performance felt versus Utah State as he racked up seven total tackles on the day, four of which were on his own. DeJean also played a role for the special teams unit as he returned two punts for three total yards.
Last season for DeJean was one to watch as he had a monstrous breakout season to become one of the biggest names to watch in college football. Expect DeJean to give the Iowa State offense some trouble.
