Iowa State’s 2026 receiving room looks very new for the 2026 season. 16 receivers are recorded on the roster, some returning to Iowa State, some coming from other FBS programs and some even coming from other divisions.
Ty Claiborne – Redshirt senior
Claiborne is one of the returning Cyclones for the 2026 season, only ever appearing in three games for Iowa State.
In 2024, he appeared against Arkansas State, and in 2025, he appeared against Oklahoma State and Arizona, not recording any stats in any of the games.
Dominic Overby – Redshirt sophomore
Like Claiborne, Overby was on Iowa State’s roster in 2025 and is returning for 2026. Through 18 appearances in 2024 and 2025, Overby has received 96 yards throughout his college career.
Overby’s career-best game was in Iowa State’s week zero matchup in Ireland versus the Kansas State Wildcats. Across the pond, Overby received for 29 yards and claimed his first career touchdown.
Carson Robbins – Redshirt sophomore
Robbins is another returning Cyclone from 2025. After redshirting with no appearances in 2024, he appeared in nine games on special teams for Iowa State.
In high school, Robbins won back-to-back state titles for Southeast Polk with current Cyclone Connor Moberly and former Cyclone Abu Sama III.
Sam Zelenovich – Redshirt freshman
Like Robbins, Zelenovich went to high school at Southeast Polk, graduating a year later in 2025. During the 2025 season, Zelenovich was redshirted and did not see the field.
Evan Boyd – Redshirt junior
Boyd is entering the Cyclone receiving room as a transfer from Michigan State, meaning Iowa State is the third program he’s played for.
In 2023 and 2024, Boyd played for Central Michigan of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). In his redshirt freshman season, Boyd received for 302 yards and two touchdowns.
In 2025, Boyd transferred to his hometown program at Michigan State. With the Spartans, Boyd had just three receptions for 54 yards and no touchdowns.
Ray Coffey – Redshirt senior
Coffey is another incoming transfer for Iowa State in 2026 after playing for Olivet Nazarene of the NAIA.
Through Coffey’s three-year career at Olivet Nazarene, he combined for 1,303 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.
Trevor Fortenberry – Redshirt junior
Fortenberry is an incoming transfer from Copiah-Lincoln Community College. Over the three seasons, Fortenberry saw action in two of the three.
In his freshman season, Fortenberry received 72 yards, but in what was supposed to be his sophomore season, he suffered an injury, redshirting him so that he did not see the season at all.
In 2025, he received 136 yards on 12 total receptions, helping Copiah-Lincoln finish with an 8-2 record.
Omari Hayes – Redshirt senior
Hayes is an incoming senior transfer from Tulane, his third program after playing for Florida Atlantic from 2022 to 2024.
With Florida Atlantic, Hayes received for 590 yards and three touchdown receptions, all of which came in 2024.
With Tulane in 2025, Hayes received for 515 yards and a touchdown, helping the Green Wave win the American Conference and appear in the College Football Playoff as an 11-seed versus Ole Miss.
Cody Jackson – Redshirt senior
Jackson’s arrival at Iowa State makes it his fourth program through his illustrious five-year career to this point.
In 2021, Jackson started his college career at Oklahoma, redshirting and appearing in two games, receiving for 45 yards. In 2022, Jackson transferred to Houston, appearing in four games and recording no stats.
In 2023, Jackson transferred to Tarleton State of the FCS, where he stayed until 2025. Across his three seasons, he played in two, totaling 1,289 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns.
Carter Pabst – Sophomore
Pabst is arriving at Iowa State from Washington State, following head coach Jimmy Rogers and the rest of the offensive coaching staff from the program.
In his true freshman season, Pabst received for 168 yards and a touchdown in Washington State’s 28-7 win over Toledo.
Jordyn Bailey – Redshirt junior
Bailey is arriving at Iowa State from a fellow Big 12 competitor in TCU. Bailey had been with TCU since 2023 before hitting the transfer portal at the end of the 2025 season.
Across those three seasons, Bailey combined for 191 yards and three receiving touchdowns, as well as a rushing touchdown in TCU’s 2024 38-13 victory versus Oklahoma State.
Braden Goellner – Redshirt senior
Goellner has, almost no question, the most interesting career of anyone on the 2026 Iowa State roster.
Returning to Iowa State, Goellner did not play football before 2026, being a part of the Iowa State track and field team from 2022 to 2025.
During the 2025-26 track and field season, Goellner placed fifth at the Big 12 Championships in high jump with a clearance of 6-11 ½.
Malcolm Watkins – Freshman
Watkins arrives at Iowa State as a three-star recruit out of high school. Going to Frontier High School in Bakersfield, California, Watkins had 768 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his senior year.
Jamal Polite Jr. – Freshman
Polite was ranked as a three-star recruit out of Shoemaker High School in Beaufort, Texas. In his senior year, he received 976 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Zach Eskildsen – Freshman
Brother of former Cyclone Brett Eskildsen, Zach Eskildsen comes to Iowa State from Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas. As a senior, Eskildsen had 623 receiving yards and four touchdowns as well as 105 rushing yards.
Jeffrey Roberts – Freshman
Roberts is staying at home for his freshman year, having played at Dowling Catholic in West Des Moines, Iowa and growing up in Ames. Roberts was a four-star recruit according to 247Sports. As a senior, Roberts received 962 yards and 13 touchdowns.
