Iowa State Cyclones' Best-Kept Secret Could Get Shafted in 2025

The Iowa State Cyclones were more known for their dynamic passing attack than anything else last season, as quarterback Rocco Becht was making hay finding wide receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel all over the football field.

However, both Higgins and Noel left for the NFL, leaving a rather gaping hole in Iowa State's offense. The Cyclones do not have any proven receivers now that their top two options are gone, which could result in Matt Campbell's squad relying an awful lot on the ground game in 2025.

Carson Hansen will certainly be Iowa State's featured back in the fall, and understandably so after putting forth a very impressive effort last season. But the Cyclones also have another running back that has flashed significant potential: Abu Sama III.

Sama rushed for 587 yards and a couple of touchdowns while averaging 4.7 yards per carry as Iowa State's No. 2 back in 2024, and two years ago, he totaled 614 yards and six scores on a robust 7.3 yards per attempt as the top guy. As a matter of fact, Sama was prioritized over Hansen that year.

Both Sama and Hansen are juniors heading into 2025, but it's pretty clear that the latter has established himself as the primary back, which will almost certainly result in Sama getting shafted in terms of playing time.

Sama has displayed that he has the chance to be a special weapon, but he won't truly get the chance to demonstrate that playing behind Hansen next year. Now, Campbell and offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser will surely give touches to Sama, but not at the level he would probably like.

This could result in a rather frustrating 2025 campaign for Sama, and although it's far too early to definitively speculate on this, it could lead to the Des Moines native eventually transferring.

Of course, that may also ultimately depend on whether or not Hansen has a strong enough season to declare for the 2026 NFL Draft. If Hansen departs after 2025, that could ultimately open the door for Sama to stay put and cement himself as the blatant No. 1 halfback.

But you can't shake the feeling that Sama will end up getting the short end of the stick, and it won't be anyone's fault. It will merely be a product of circumstance.

Regardless, we will see how things unfold, and at the very least, the Cyclones will have quite the backfield tandem. Who knows? Maybe Hansen and Sama could be to Iowa State what Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson were to Ohio State in 2024.

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