Iowa State Football Set to Compete With Penn State for 2028 Three-Star Safety

Dec 8, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Matt Campbell answers questions from the media after being announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at the Beaver Stadium Press Room. Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

Iowa State Football Set to Compete With Penn State for 2028 Three-Star Safety

Originally posted on Iowa State Cyclones on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Apr 21, 2026 10:01 AM ET

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As the Iowa State Cyclones start to prepare for the 2026 campaign, the coaching staff has been working hard during spring practices, along with being on the recruiting trail.

New head coach Jimmy Rogers might not have inherited the best situation with the Cyclones, but he is making the most of it. The new coach came in after just one year with the Washington State Cougars, but he had his team playing some close games against some of the best teams in the country.

Rogers will be bringing over a mindset that is certainly focused on being physical and strong defensively. That should bode well for the Cyclones and their targets in the transfer portal, highlighted that. Iowa State is going to be a team that will be trying to control the trenches, and that can really bother opponents.

Following the addition of a new roster in the transfer portal, Rogers and the coaching staff have now been working on their recruiting class for 2027. So far, they have done a nice job of adding talent, and one of their players was recently bumped up to a four-star player. Furthermore, they have also started to look at talent and offering 2028 players. Recently, they offered three-star safety Geo McKnight.

Cyclones Set to Compete With Penn State

After an Amazing visit and conversation with @ISURogers3 @PeteMenage @CoachBanks13 @Owen_Baebler @CoachRossWatson blessed to receive an offer from @CycloneFB! @CoachHillerich @RecruitPN @coachelichter @ChimChek @TMPEliteOH7v7 #BIG12 pic.twitter.com/Jq6e5shiXc
— GEORDAN (GEO) MCKNIGHT 3 ⭐️ DB (@geordanmckn1ght) April 21, 2026

In what could become a trend with Matt Campbell going to the Nittany Lions, Iowa State, and Penn State will be going after the same player. According to Rivals, the Nittany Lions are in the running for the three-star safety, along with the Pittsburgh Panthers, who are in the mix.

As an Ohio native, it makes sense for both of these Pennsylvania schools to have an early edge, but with the recent offer by Iowa State, it will be interesting to see if they can also get in the mix.

Once again, it is good to see Rogers and the coaching staff not being afraid to cast a wide net when it comes to recruiting. Going into Ohio and trying to compete for recruits is not easy, but they believe that they will have a chance with McKnight.

Even though it is the Panthers as the early favorite to land him, beating the Nittany Lions and Campbell for the recruit would undoubtedly feel good. Furthermore, with McKnight being a class of 2028 player, it is good to see the Cyclones getting ahead of things for the future of the program.

This article first appeared on Iowa State Cyclones on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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