Putting pressure on the quarterback hasn’t been a strong point for Iowa State in recent years.

Last season, the Iowa State defense — led on the defensive line by Demond Tucker, Mitchell Meyers and Jhaustin Thomas — ranked No. 101 out of 128 FBS teams in sacks per game. The Cyclones finished with just 19 sacks in 12 games, fewer than any other team in the Big 12 aside from Texas Tech.

Now, with those three linemen gone, Iowa State’s defensive line will be full of fresh faces and a lack of experience.

The returners

Even though some of Iowa State’s freshmen saw the field last year, none of the defensive linemen on the roster have experience being the leader of the unit.

JaQuan Bailey made his presence known as a true freshman last year when he recorded a team-high 3.5 sacks. Bailey will have to lead Iowa State’s pass rush again in 2017.

Also on the edge, J.D. Waggoner played in just five games a year ago before a season-ending injury. Waggoner has two career sacks and five career tackles for loss. He is back for his senior campaign and could be one of Iowa State’s starters on the defensive line.

Senior Vernell Trent has played in every game for the last three years. He has 29 career tackles over his career and may need to step into a bigger role this season.

Sophomore Jamahl Johnson was one of six true freshmen — along with Bailey — to see the field in 2016 as a true freshman. At 6-feet, 314 pounds, Johnson’s size is best utilized to stuff the run.

The newcomers

Iowa State will be relying heavily on some new faces on the defensive line.

Matt Leo, Kamilo Tongamoa and Ray Lima will all be expected to play big roles in their first year on campus.

Leo, who stands at 6-foot-7 and 265 pounds, hails from Australia. He spent two years at Arizona Western. After his two years, Leo held offers from Oklahoma, Arizona, Kansas and Mississippi State.

At 25-years-old, Leo is in the strange position of being the oldest player on the roster and also being one of the least experienced. His rugby background in Australia led him to the United States for football, but he hasn’t played at the Division I level yet. Whether or not he can make that adjustment remains to be seen.

Lima, on the other hand, will plug a huge hole in the middle of the line. At 6-foot-3, 310 pounds, Lima has ideal size for a defensive tackle. Lima will have three years of eligibility left after choosing Iowa State over seven other power conference programs.

Tongamoa stands at 6-foot-5, 320 pounds. He held offers from several other power five conference schools, including Oklahoma State, Texas and Oregon. His size will help him play from day one.

The outlook for 2017

Overall, Iowa State’s defensive line is not likely to be a point of strength in 2017. The unit is extremely inexperienced and doesn’t have a clear, defined leader.

The potential is there. Lima and Leo were two of the most highly sought-after junior college linemen in the nation for a reason, and returning linemen like JaQuan Bailey gained valuable experience a season ago.

Potential doesn’t win games, though. The task for the Cyclone defensive line in 2017 will be to turn that potential into production.