It hasn’t been pretty for ISU fans watching the ISU football team record only five wins in the last two seasons and only two last season.

The future looks even shakier after losing some of the team’s best players on offense. 

Wide receiver Jarvis West and tight end E.J. Bibbs will be among the graduating seniors for Iowa State. West was the No. 1 receiver for the Cyclones last season and Bibbs was arguably their best offensive threat, scoring a team-leading eight touchdowns.

But it isn’t all doom and gloom for ISU head coach Paul Rhoads’ team.

Next year’s team will have the opportunity to improve on the dismal season with an additional year of seasoning from quarterback Sam Richardson and some threats on the offensive side of the ball.

Allan Lazard, the freshman wide receiver from Urbandale, Iowa, has proven his worth as the four-star recruit.

He showed what he is capable of early in the season. 

Lazard’s first catch as a member of the Cyclones went for 48 yards, which remains his career high, in the 2014 season opener against North Dakota State.

He earned honorable mention for the all-freshman team in the Big 12 for the 2014-15 season with 593 yards and three touchdowns. 

Entering his sophomore season, Lazard may become Richardson’s No. 1 target. He has already begun to ascend to that role, catching 45 passes throughout the season, which ranks second all-time in ISU history for a freshman. 

Returning starting quarterback Richardson, not to be confused with the defensive back, Sam E. Richardson, has the potential to be one of the top-three signal callers in the Big 12, Rhoads said during the season.

Richardson showed flashes of that capability and more last season, setting the school record in completions with 254, which was aided by offensive coordinator Mark Mangino’s pass-first offense. 

His 421 rushing yards ranked second on the team and shows he has the potential to be a dynamic threat out of the pocket.

Adding to Rhoads’ strong returning players will be 22 recruits signed in February, six of whom are junior college transfers.

Rhoads has focused on the defense that ranked third from last in the Football Bowl Subdivision in yards allowed. Fourteen of the 22 recruits are on the defensive side of the ball and four of the six transfers are as well.

The depth chart will provide a full plate for Rhoads, but the question is, Can the Cyclones make a turnaround from past seasons?