No. 16 Iowa State:
Jaylon Jackson – Running Back
Iowa State’s running back room has arrived. It has not just been sophomore Abu Sama III who has been the lead back, but rather a running back room by committee is what the Cyclones seem to be rolling with.
One of those running backs is senior Jaylon Jackson. Jackson started his college football career at Lamar and then transferred to Eastern Michigan, spending two years at each school.
Now at Iowa State, Jackson has reached the top level of college football.
Through four games as a Cyclone, Jackson has run the ball 33 times for 188 yards. He has the highest average yards-per-carry among the Iowa State running backs at 5.7.
Against Houston, Jackson ripped off his longest carry of the season, 50 yards, which led to a touchdown. Though Jackson has not scored yet as a Cyclone, it feels like he is getting closer to crossing the goal line after every game.
Beau Freyler – Defensive Back
Beau Freyler, a senior and a second-year captain, leads the Cyclones in total tackles with 27, along with sophomore linebacker Kooper Ebel. Of those, 17 are solo tackles, which also leads the team.
His consistency has been the key element of his play. Freyler averages between six and eight tackles per game and has been in the top three in total tackles every game.
For good measure, Freyler also has an interception, which came in the season opener against North Dakota. There is a reason Freyler was chosen as a captain last year and it is no surprise that he has the same title this year.
Kooper Ebel – Linebacker
Like Freyler, Ebel leads Iowa State with 27 total tackles, 15 being solo tackles. Ebel had six in each of the first three games but upped his usual number with nine against the Cougars.
In a room that has been plagued with injuries, including Caleb Bacon, Will McLaughlin and most recently, John Klosterman, Ebel has proven he can rise to the challenge.
As a freshman, Ebel played in three games and recorded one tackle in each. After three games in 2024, he has six times the amount of tackles in the same amount of time in 2023.
As games continue, his confidence and that of the entire linebackers should rise. Ebel has the makings of being the biggest surprise on the Cyclones defense this season.
Baylor:
Josh Cameron – Wide Receiver
Baylor has struggled to finish games throughout the 2024 college football season. After five games, the Bears are 2-3, but their two most recent games were one-possession losses.
The highlight for Baylor in the receivers room has been junior Josh Cameron, who has 16 catches for 267 yards and three touchdowns throughout the first five games.
Against teams ranked in the AP Top 25, such as Iowa State, Cameron averages nine catches and 184 yards in those games. All three of his touchdowns have also come against AP Top 25 opponents.
Freyler and the Cyclones secondary will have their hands full with Cameron as the main target for the Bears in this one.
The Running Back Room
Like Iowa State, Baylor has a running back room by committee. There are four running backs for the Bears that have between 31 and 37 carries, and all four have at least 100 but no more than 160 rushing yards.
The group of four backs includes freshman Bryson Washington, who leads Baylor in rushing yards, sophomore Dawson Pendergrass, who is the best against AP Top 25 opponents, junior Richard Reese and senior Dominic Richardson.
None of the running backs have the same year classification, which is interesting. The same can be said for the fact that none of them have played in every game, either.
Time will tell which of the four breaks out, but odds are at least three will see time on the field.
Matt Jones and Keaton Thomas – Linebackers
Two Baylor linebackers have 42 total tackles. Senior Matt Jones is one, and sophomore Keaton Thomas is the other.
Those two alone have nearly double the amount of total tackles than everyone else on the Bears defense. When it comes to solo tackles, Thomas has the slight edge at 28, compared to Jones’ 25.
To add to his already impressive stats, Thomas also has an interception this season.
