This past offseason was a roller coaster ride for the Iowa State Cyclones football program.

The epitome of stability for the last 10 years under head coach Matt Campbell , things were turned upside down on Dec. 5. That was when it was announced he was officially leaving for the Penn State Nittany Lions.

A few hours after that, the new head coach was announced: Jimmy Rogers, formerly of the Washington State Cougars. A program that had been steadily built up over the last decade was now undergoing a massive overhaul with a new leader.

It should come as no surprise that in the offseason rankings shared by Eli Lederman, Max Olson and Adam Rittenberg of ESPN , including every power conference school in the country, Iowa State came in dead last in the Big 12.

Iowa State had tough football offseason

Apr 25, 2026; University Park, PA, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions head coach Matt Campbell answers questions from the media following the Penn State Blue-White Spring game at Beaver Stadium.…