AMES — For Iowa State football players, mornings begin with workouts before transitioning to classes, meetings and practice, leaving little room for anything else. 

As spring practice starts to pick up, the routine has ramped up, especially with a new coaching staff and a roster full of new faces. 

The balance between football and academics at the collegiate level has always been just as important as learning a new playbook. 

“It’s a balance between school and football, that’s for sure,” running back Cameron Pettaway said. “Time management is a big part of the game, and, you know, just trying to balance that with schoolwork. It’s not too bad once you get used to it.”

That adjustment is spreading all across the roster; players are not only managing their time but adapting to the new expectations under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers and his staff.

For linebacker Carson Willich, that balance starts in the classroom. 

“Academics, to me, is really important with me set to graduate in May,” Willich said. 

Being one of the few returning players from the past season, Willich is navigating the dynamic of a new system and a new locker room, something he said required just as much adjustment off the field as on it. 

“Getting to know these new people and their culture has been really, really cool for me,” Willich said. 

With new players arriving from different programs across the country, building relationships has become a priority at the start of spring. That process has been intentional, with the staff creating opportunities for players to connect beyond the field. 

“In those unit meetings, it’s not just X’s and O’s… it is a lot of the culture building and camaraderie piece and guys getting to know one another,” defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit said. 

The emphasis on connection has stood out to players like defensive lineman Max Baloun, a redshirt senior transfer who followed Rogers from Washington State. 

“We need to build connections with each other… ” It’s more than just football, about developing relationships,” Baloun said.

That transition to Iowa State and under the new management has been more than just adjusting to a new staff, Baloun pointed to the approach to development as the key difference. 

“No one’s going to fight for the players more than Rogers,” Baloun said. “They do a good job of pushing you, but also caring for you as a person outside of football.”

The mental side of the game has been a part of that development, with Baloun seeing it early in the spring.

“It’s not necessarily just harder physically, it’s harder mentally,” Baloun said. “How you review your film, how you take notes… teaching you those things.”

The attention to detail and discipline required on the field mirrors what players manage in the classroom, where preparation and time management become priorities.

Offensive lineman Austin Barrett, a returning redshirt sophomore, said his biggest change from this year to last has been the focus on daily habits and consistency. 

“Everyone works hard,” Barrett said. “So when you have to separate yourself, it comes down to the process… extra work… we’re worried about the process. We’re taking it one day at a time.”

That mindset created a more competitive environment, where nothing is guaranteed.

“They didn’t sell me on empty promises… they told me I’d have a fighting chance… to earn something,” Barrett said. 

With the roster made up of transfers and returners from different backgrounds, that competition pairs strongly with the new team chemistry. 

“We’re a melting pot of everybody,” Barrett said. “It’s been good to meet other people.”

As spring practices start to pick up, players are going to adjust to the speed and expectations of the new system, while also managing the responsibilities of being a student-athlete.

With everything changing around the players, the balance between school and football remains constant.