National Signing Day is usually a day of positivity for programs. The words “excited” and “thrilled” are the most important vocabulary words for coaches holding press conferences, and every recruit has more “potential” than their recruiting ranking suggested.

For Iowa State, it was no different. ISU football coach Paul Rhoads called the 2015 class very balanced with 11 offensive and 11 defensive players and filled many of the team’s needs.

However, an offseason riddled with dismissals, departures and de-commitments leaves little room for error and will ask a lot from day one of a recruiting class that will be led by six junior college transfers. Rhoads said relying on junior college guys to step in right away was never a concern.

“It was our plan from the beginning,” Rhoads said. “They fill holes that we knew we were going to have with graduation attrition and so forth. Any time you bring a player in of junior college status, you’re expecting him to step in on the field right away and make an impact, so yeah, all six will contribute toward that win column.”

The star of the class? Demond Tucker. The 6-foot-1-inch, 285-pound defensive tackle was No. 3 in the nation of junior college players at his position. The Cyclones were one of the worst rushing defenses in the nation last season after dismissals and injuries catapulted inexperienced players into key roles.

Last season’s junior college transfers Terry Ayeni and Gabe Luna spent the season sidelined with injuries, but they are both on track to make an impact in 2015. With four other defensive line recruits in the class, Tucker will headline a group that has a fairly high ceiling heading into the season.

“Explosiveness and speed,” Rhoads said, describing Tucker. “I was down there the other day when they were moving around, just his bounce and athleticism you see a little bit different than the guys we have in there right now.”

Another junior college player hoping to crack the depth chart this season is offensive lineman Patrick Scroggins. The versatile lineman was ranked the No. 7 junior college guard in the country by ESPN, but played left tackle his final season at Long Beach Community College in California.

Besides level of competition, one of the biggest concerns for incoming recruiting classes is the connection with the team. Rhoads said this class has communicated among each other more than any class he remembers, texting each other daily.

For Scroggins, it has helped him transition from junior college to Division I and get to know his teammates as he gets an extra semester of work with the team. 

“I’m jumping right into it,” Scroggins said. “The offensive line is really cool. After lifts, we get some extra work in on the bags and they’ve been teaching me the steps [offensive line coach Brandon Blaney] wants, so I really appreciate them.”

From top to bottom, the class is also one of the biggest in individual size that Rhoads has picked up. With only three players listed under 6 feet tall, two of which are 5-foot-11-inch running back recruits, the Cyclones have added size at positions like the offensive line, receiver and defensive line.

With players like Tucker and Scroggins, the class gives Iowa State immediate options heading into the season and offers some positives for a program that has been flooded by negativity in the past two seasons.

“This class is going to look a lot different the first day they walk on campus,” Rhoads said. “You can tell I’m very pleased with this recruiting class. It’s a good group of players and young men, and they look the part to go with it, which excites us.”