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Iowa State looks to respond to outside noise with play on the field AMES, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa State opens its first season under head coach Jimmy Rogers this fall, and he was asked at media days whether it was a big undertaking to take over a program that has had to overhaul its roster for a second year in a row. He said yes. Some Big 12 polls, such as the USA Today, have Iowa State picked to finish at the bottom of the conference. Players said they have heard that outside noise and are looking to do something about it. Redshirt junior offensive lineman Jake Taylor said the team does not plan to start the season slow. “We’re not going to start off slow in the season because we were told to. We’re going to be little rascals. We’re going to defy everyone. That’s kind of like our mindset. We’re kind of the rascals or misfits. If we embrace that role, I think we’ll be a heck of a team,” Taylor said. Senior quarterback Jaylen Raynor said the outside doubt has put a chip on the team’s shoulder. “It’s something that puts a chip on our shoulder as a team and a whole. A lot of people don’t expect us to do certain things. But we’re not too worried about that. We’re worried about our own expectations of making ourselves right, rather than proving others wrong,” Raynor said. Rogers mentioned that the doubt may have also reach the Cyclone fan base following an exodus of players. “Yeah, I know there’s a lot of people that are skeptical or maybe hurt by the exodus of players. But the reality is, they were coming to Iowa State to support Iowa State and have a football team here that will be extremely competitive, and want to play, and represent something bigger than themselves. I think, if we’re all in this together, and I’m not saying it’s going to be an easy road throughout the season, but we’ve got a ton of opportunities here to make an impact,” Rogers said. With more than 80 new players on the roster, the team has focused on getting to know each other. Redshirt senior wide receiver Omari Hayes said quarterback Jaylen Raynor has led that effort, building chemistry on the field. “Jaylen, he knows me, not just on the field and how I run routes. He knows me, where I’m from, and everything about me. That’s very important when you know that guy, and exactly why he’s doing what he’s doing, that makes you go harder as an individual,” Hayes said. Players and coaches said they feel more ready than they did last year at this point. Rogers spent one season at Washington State and he said the Cyclones are in a better spot than the Cougars were in 2025. He added it is still a process, and a few depth players will not be ready to make an impact immediately. “We’ll consistently build throughout this year to utilize the guys on this roster. They may not be ready week one, or week three, but we will break our team up for self-service. When we get to game preparation, a lot of what we will do will still prepare a lot of our players who are servicing to be able to step into a role to be able to help us later on,” Rogers said. With a lot of new faces, several questions likely will not be answered until week one. Iowa State will play its first five games in state, with four of them at Jack Trice Stadium, beginning Sept. 5 against SEMO. Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.