One of Iowa State’s Spring Stand Outs is No Longer With the Team

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One of Iowa State’s Spring Stand Outs is No Longer With the Team

Originally posted on Heartland College Sports
By Pete Mundo | Last updated May 4, 2026 1:40 PM ET

Iowa State running back Jayden Jackson is no longer with the program, according to multiple reports, including being confirmed by Cyclone Alert.

Jackson posted on Instagram indicating his departure from the program in recent days, but Monday saw multiple outlets confirm the news. Jackson was one of the few holdovers from the Matt Campbell era. He did not play in a game during his freshman season in Ames, but was a former 3-star recruit from Franklin, Texas. He picked Iowa State over offers from Texas Tech, South Carolina, Boston College and several others.

Jackson was one of the stars in Iowa State’s spring showcase in late April, but head coach Jimmy Rogers did go on to note after the game that Jackson needed to show more to get more quality reps during the season with a crowded backfield. The head coach said, “He’s got to consistently grow and do things off the field that are right and follow through with things and grow mentally in order to continue to get reps.”

Iowa State has a solid backfield already set up with Cameron Pettaway, Aiden Flora and Salahadin Allah projected atop the Cyclones depth chart going into the 2026 season. Pettaway rushed for 365 yards at Bowling Green last season, while Allah rushed for over 300 combined yards the last two seasons at Oregon State and Florda has played sparingly the last two seasons for the Cyclones.

This article first appeared on Heartland College Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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