Iowa State HC Matt Campbell Questions Cyclones' Toughness

The Iowa State Cyclones just enjoyed their best football season in the history of their school, winning 11 games and defeating the Miami Hurricanes in the Pop Tarts Bowl. They also appeared in the Big 12 title game, but fell to the Arizona State Sun Devils.

It represented the only time Iowa State had ever logged double-digit victories in a single campaign, and it obviously marked significant progress for the Matt Campbell era.

But will Iowa State be able to take the next step in 2025?

The Cyclones are looking to become the first Big 12 team in nearly a decade to reach back-to-back conference championship gams, but Campbell wonders if his squad has the mental fortitude to do so.

“We've changed a lot of things in football, but the one thing you haven't changed is, are you tough enough?” Campbell said, via Travis Hines of The Des Moines Register.

That's certainly a very pressing and blunt question for Iowa State, which lost numerous star players to the NFL Draft this offseason. Most notably, the Cyclones watched their top two wide receivers — Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel — get drafted by the Houston Texans.

So, not only will Iowa Stave have to answer the toughness question, but it will also need to find answers in its receiving corps. Both Higgins and Noel achieved over 1,000 yards receiving in 2024, so quarterback Rocco Becht will have to develop his lesser-known wide outs to keep the offense afloat.

We'll see if the Cyclones can continue their upward trajectory in 2025.

Read More Houston Texans Coverage