AMES — Iowa State was busy in the transfer portal this offseason. Four seniors graduated, and three Cyclones transferred, which opened roster spots Iowa State desperately needed to fill.
They picked up five players in the portal for the 2026-27 season, and many fans believe they crushed it in the portal.
Meet the five newest Iowa State Cyclones.
Jaquan Johnson
Jaquan “Bully” Johnson will have two years of eligibility as he joins the Cyclones from Bradley.
The point guard from Bradley was ranked a four-star transfer, and many value him as the most important transfer for Iowa State. 247Sports ranked Johnson 46th among transfers in the class.
Johnson played high school hoops in Milwaukee, where he put up 27 points, six rebounds and six assists a night to earn him a scholarship to Bradley.
He showed flashes in year one in the Missouri Valley Conference, carving out a spot on the All-MVC Freshman team.
He broke out in his second season with Bradley. Johnson got better in every way with a slashline of nearly 17/4/3.6 with two steals a night. He also saw an uptick in his 3-point percentage, as it rose to 38%.
He racked up accolades in his sophomore season, earning All-MVC First team, All-MVC Most-Improved Team and the MVC Defensive Player of the Year.
Johnson was only one steal away from tying the single-season steals record at Bradley.
Even though he stands at 5-foot-11, the nickname “Bully” couldn’t be more accurate.
Johnson is a threat whenever he is moving downhill and is an extremely strong finisher at the rim. He uses his physicality and strengths to finish layups over smaller guards.
The transfer is a pure scorer that can also spot up from deep. Johnson’s improvement in his 3-point shot last season made him much more of a weapon on offense.
He was named the best defender in the Missouri Valley Conference for a reason. Johnson’s hands are among the best in the portal, and he picked the pockets of guards for open layups on countless occasions.
The ball pressure he applies is also another plus to his game, as he uses his built frame to stay in front of players despite his lack of size.
With Iowa State losing out on the scoring from their big three from last year, the Cyclones need someone to step up scoring the ball. Johnson is a primed candidate for that role.
Tre Singleton
Tre Singleton is a 6-foot-8 forward from Northwestern who will be a sophomore when he suits up for the Cyclones in the 2026-27 season.
Singleton was a top 100 player out of high school after winning a state championship in Indiana during his senior season. He averaged 18/7/3 on great efficiency and was a nominee for Indiana Mr. Basketball.
As a true freshman, Singleton started 31 games for the Wildcats and turned in a strong season.
Singleton is listed at 6-foot-8 and 215 pounds, but his wide frame and broad shoulders provide a physical presence.
He always looks to push it in transition, as Singleton often goes coast-to-coast and fights to get to the rim.
Singleton is not the most explosive athlete; however, he has great balance when driving and knows how to use his size to finish inside.
The freshman put his head down and bumped and banged off defenders to convert in the paint.
He can exploit mismatches on offense down low, but didn’t have a great shooting season on the perimeter.
He shot 16.7% from three on 54 attempts, but wasn’t as bad from deep in high school. In his junior season, he shot 8-16 and his senior year, he shot 14-26 (54%) from three. Singleton may be a better shooter than he let on in his freshman season.
Defensively, the forward is a versatile defender and high-volume rebounder. He uses his strength on the defensive side of the ball more often than on offense.
Singleton played in a loaded Big Ten conference and faced some of the best teams in the nation. He dropped 17 points and 18 rebounds, both of which were season-highs.
Singleton has great fundamentals and intangibles, and overall, a good feel for the game. He will likely be a role player in the Iowa State rotation next season.
Leon Bond III
Leon Bond is an athletic wing from UNI and will join Iowa State with one more season of eligibility left.
Bond committed to play in Virginia alongside current Cyclone Blake Buchanan as ESPN’s No. 75 recruit.
He redshirted his first year at Virginia and saw little action in year two, so he decided to transfer.
UNI came calling, and Bond turned in two good seasons for the Panthers.
Bond was a great role player, hovering around 10 points per game and four rebounds.
His biggest strength is his athleticism, which he pairs perfectly with a high motor and high energy. Just like the other Cyclone transfers, he can run in transition and throw down lobs.
Bond has an underrated offensive profile and can score from anywhere on the court. Despite his measurables of 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, he plays bigger, which helps him around the rim.
His signature shot is a pull-up midrange, which he’s had in his bag since high school. His shot beyond the arc has improved every year of his college career and has made him a well-rounded scorer.
Bond made the MVC All-Defensive Team last season, and his 2.6 defensive win shares were among the best in the conference. He can guard the 1-4 because he’s fast enough to play with guards and strong enough to challenge bigs.
He helped the UNI Panthers make March Madness, their first time in the tournament since 2015.
Bond has a high floor as a guy who can do a little of everything in the Cyclones rotation next season.
Taj Manning
Taj Manning is a forward from Kansas State who will give the Cyclones plenty of frontcourt depth.
He’s spent the last four years in Manhattan, Kansas, but he joined the nine other Wildcats who hit the portal.
After clinching a berth at the GEICO National Championships in 2021-22, Manning set his sights on Kansas State as a three-star prospect.
His freshman and sophomore seasons consisted of little playing time. He appeared in 22 games and averaged around a point and a rebound.
Manning’s junior year was a different story, where he started 14 of K-State’s 16 conference games.
The big man put up 4/5/1 with 0.7 steals and blocks a contest on 48.5% from the field. Manning is not a threat from outside, as he shot 5-27 (18.5%) during his junior campaign, but he does most of his work inside.
62% of his shots came from near the rim, mostly because he crashed the class. He ranked 12th in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding percentage last season.
It’s common to see Manning kick it out for a better shot after grabbing a miss on the offensive end as well.
Manning is athletic and uses his 6-foot-7, 230-pound frame not only to grab rebounds but also to be a talented screener.
With one year of eligibility remaining, Manning will try to find a spot in T.J. Otzelberger’s rotation for his last season in collegiate basketball.
Ryan Prather Jr.
Ryan Prather comes to Ames as a guard from Robert Morris to play his first season in a Power Four conference.
Prather had no stars out of high school and headed to the MAC to play for Akron. After redshirting his first year and not seeing the court much the next season, he transferred to Robert Morris.
In 24 minutes per game, Prather recorded eight points, three rebounds, and an assist per game on good efficiency.
In year two with Robert Morris, he got the keys to the offense and didn’t let his opportunity go to waste.
Prather’s slashline was 16/4/4 on 44% from the field, 36.8% from 3-point land and 84.7% from the charity stripe. He led the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio last season.
He is very safe with the ball and doesn’t put it in harm’s way. Prather stands at 6-foot-5, a tall guard who is a plus playmaker. He increased his assists per game by 2.5 from his two seasons at Robert Morris.
Prather loves catch-and-shoot triples and knocks them down at a high rate. He has a very quick release and tends to step into his jumpers when he shoots them.
He is also elusive when navigating around screens, which makes him open more often from deep. 57% of Prather’s shots were threes last season.
He uses his size and length on the defensive end, disrupting passes with solid hands, and he’s an underrated rebounder.
Prather could provide a scoring boost in the rotation for Otzelberger’s offense as a sniper in the starting five or off the bench for Iowa State.
