Iowa State Cyclones Hit With Harsh Reality in 2025 Big 12 Predictions

In Ames, the expectation for the Iowa State Cyclones is to get back to the Big 12 Championship and finish the job, earning a trip to the College Football Playoff for the first time in the process. But for a program that hasn’t won a conference championship in over a century, rarely do the outside expectations match those in-house.

Athlon Sports released its Big 12 2025 season predictions Tuesday, and their experts don’t expect the Cyclones to reach the same heights as 2024. Instead, they expect Kansas State and Arizona State to meet in the Big 12 Championship, with Iowa State falling to fourth in the final conference standings behind Texas Tech.

How Big Names at QB Shift the Big 12 Title Picture

It seems the predictions follow the thought process of choosing the best quarterbacks on the best teams, which, to be fair, is usually a safe option. The Wildcats bring back Avery Johnson while the Sun Devils have Sam Leavitt, two players with high ceilings and the expectations to reach them in 2025. Meanwhile, Texas Tech’s Behren Morton will lead an explosive Red Raider offense.

Of course, Iowa State has a great quarterback themselves in third-year starter Rocco Becht. The unknown factor is who will catch the ball for him, with Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel getting their collective start in the NFL with the Houston Texans. 

Still, with confidence in the signal caller, three returning starters up front, and a rushing duo that combined for over 1,300 yards and 15 scores a year ago, the offense looks poised to carry some momentum into 2025 as it sorts out its top receiving options. East Carolina transfer Chase Sowell was a leading receiver for a Pirates passing game that was less than average the past two seasons, so the hope is that he can be the first option to step up. Homegrown option Daniel Jackson is another name to watch as a pass catcher.

Defensively, there is room for concern. There are no proven pass rush threats as the Cyclones don’t return a single player who recorded more than one sack in 2024. The defensive backfield is also a unit that will undergo a massive overhaul.

Still, with a linebacker injury bug and poor sack production a year ago, the Cyclones allowed 22.4 points per game, which ranked 42nd nationally, a stat that ballooned in the postseason as Arizona State and Miami each dropped 40+ points.

Of course, the 11-win season last year was unprecedented for the program, and unfortunately, head coach Matt Campbell has only orchestrated one back-to-back instance of 8+ win seasons in Ames. Nonetheless, Iowa State overcame some considerable flaws last year to turn in its most impressive season in program history. To replicate that success won’t be easy, but it’s certainly far from impossible with Campbell and Becht leading the charge in 2025.