With many college football programs wrapping up their seasons in the coming weeks, teams are starting to shift their attention to recruiting.

Iowa State is, of course, no exception.

Along with preparing for its upcoming game against College Football Playoff hopeful, No. 3 TCU (10-1, 7-1 Big 12), this Saturday, many coaches have been out of office on recruiting trips, and ISU coach Paul Rhoads was among them.

“It’s already been a busy week for the team, juggling recruiting and game preparation, and certainly game preparation is at the top of our list,” Rhoads said. “We’ve had four coaches out already, with seven going out Thursday and four more on Friday.”

The size of the incoming recruiting class is still up in the air, something that Rhoads continues to pay close attention to. He feels that their visits this week could have a big part in that.

“The class could be anywhere [from] 12, 14, even 18 strong by the time it’s all said and done,” Rhoads said. “Certainly we’re looking at every position group as we round it out.”

A big question for the new recruiting class is the number of quarterbacks the Cyclones will have on scholarship. After recent recruiting trips, there is now suddenly potential for five different quarterbacks to be on scholarship next season.

While many would admit that they think five is too many, Rhoads doesn’t see a problem with it.

“At that position, five is not necessarily too high, and four isn’t necessarily ideal,” Rhoads said. “You can’t be under four, but you never want more than five, in my opinion.”

Should a fifth quarterback be added to the mix, another quarterback battle could be in the near future.

“They’re a competitive group, always, at that position, fighting for a chance to be the guy or the next guy,” Rhoads said. “You let that competition ride and then the fallout from it is every coach’s to deal with. I have no problem with five on the roster if that’s the way it ends up in August and letting them compete.”

However, with the Cyclones struggling as of late, it can be tough to keep recruits committed. In fact, after the Cyclones fell to Kansas earlier in the year, three different recruits withdrew their commitment within 24 hours.

Still, Athletic Director Jamie Pollard has been very vocal with his support for Rhoads throughout the season. Pollard made an appearance on a call-in show last Monday, and once again boasted his support for Rhoads and the team.

“It’s a place that you’ve got to have a chip on your shoulder, and you’ve got to try to do something that others maybe are afraid to do or couldn’t do or don’t want to try to do,” Pollard said on the show. “That’s what inspires all of us to be here, and it’s to climb a mountain that others have never gotten to the top. I look forward to continuing that journey with Coach Rhoads and hopefully getting there.”

Pollard’s faith in what Rhoads has installed at Iowa State is something that Rhoads appreciates. But he said he also knows that the team needs to play better, and that’s at the top of his list.

“Jamie [Pollard] and I have such an outstanding relationship and are in constant communication,” Rhoads said. “He’s aware of the direction [we are headed] and certainly supportive of that. We all know in the business it’s result driven, and we’ve got to play better. We’ve got to win more games, we all know that, and we all believe that the pieces are in place to allow us to do that as the opportunity presents itself.”