AMES – The 2024 college football season will look a little different from a rules and conference standpoint, but for Iowa State, the starting roster will look fairly similar to 2023. After finishing 7-6 with a Liberty Bowl loss to Memphis, the Cyclones enter the new season with high goals and aspirations.
One of the big seismic shifts in the world of college athletics, especially in football, is conference realignment. The Big 12 will look a bit different this year with the departure of Texas and Oklahoma, and the addition of four schools from the Pac-12.
Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah are set to be the four new members of the now 16-team Big 12 conference in 2024. Iowa State will only play Utah of those four this season, but it is a new conference opponent nonetheless.
With Texas gone, a new Big 12 champion will be crowned, and the Cyclones want their name thrown in the mix of possible teams to take that title amongst all the chaos.
“You think you know, but until this ball gets kicked off and the lights come on and there’s 70,000 people sitting in the stands, you don’t know,” Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell said. “My job is how many different ways can I create chaotic opportunities and force guys, our players and our coaches to respond.”
Before the Cyclones think about a possible trip to Arlington, they need to prove their worth in their 12 regular season games and that starts with North Dakota. After that, the annual Cy-Hawk game against Iowa will be played in Iowa City this season, before Iowa State finishes its non-conference slate against Arkansas State.
Even with a larger conference crowd, the Cyclones will still play nine Big 12 games, the first of which being on the road against Houston: the first time the two will meet as conference opponents in football.
UCF and the aforementioned Utah are the other first-time conference opponents for Iowa State in 2024.
Among former Big 12 schools, the Cyclones will face Baylor, Texas Tech and Kansas State at home, and West Virginia and Kansas on the road. The game against Kansas will be played in Arrowhead Stadium, home of the four-time and back-to-back reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs.
Leading Iowa State through the season will be sophomore quarterback Rocco Becht, who will take part in a unique innovation for quarterbacks. For the first time in college football history, quarterbacks will now be able to hear coaches through a speaker in their helmet before plays.
“You don’t want to give him so much information and talk to him all the way,” quarterback coach Jake Waters said. “Little tips here and there about what I’m seeing or we’re seeing.”
The difference may take some getting used to, but could provide unique opportunities, especially in late-game, no-huddle situations.
The clock rules are also going to be different for the first season ever in college football. In years past, the clock would stop after every first down. Now, the clock continues, except in the final two minutes of the second and fourth quarters.
The Cyclones will experience it all while bringing back 18 of 22 starters from last season, one of those being Becht. After one of the most prolific seasons by a freshman quarterback in Iowa State history, Becht hopes to be the one to lead the offense into the future.
“I’m going into each week thinking it’s the same old week and trying to get a win every single one,” Becht said. “I can’t wait to play.”
Becht broke the freshman records for completions, passing yards and touchdowns at Iowa State last season. Many, including Campbell, see similarities between Becht and former Cyclones quarterback Brock Purdy, who will enter his third season with the San Francisco 49ers.
Senior wide receivers Jaylin Noel and Jayden Higgins will lead the wide receiver group. Sophomores in running back Abu Sama III and tight end Benjamin Brahmer will fill out the top spots among the skill position players.
All five offensive linemen return, including senior Tyler Miller. On defense, players such as Jeremiah Cooper, Myles Purchase, Beau Freyler, Malik Verdon and Jamison Patton will lead the secondary.
Linebacker Caleb Bacon will have a new number this season, as he switches from the No. 50 to No. 26. Bacon was selected to switch his number in honor of former Iowa State wide receiver Jack Whitver, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor earlier this year.
Both Bacon and Whitver started their careers as walk-ons with the Cyclones and eventually became recognizable names and leaders within the program.
In honor of former assistant coach, Curtis Bray, redshirt senior J.R. Singleton will wear the No. 58 jersey for the second straight season. The tradition of an Iowa State player wearing the number annually dates back to the 2014 season; the year Bray died due to a pulmonary embolism.
Many more top-notch players will take to the field this season 12 times in all, and seven times in front of the 61,500 faithful that pack Jack Trice Stadium on game days.
The season is right around the corner, and it begins at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium against North Dakota.
