Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell: ‘We need to be tougher’
As spring football wraps up, Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell gave his opinion on where the Cyclones stand ahead of summer, fall preparation.
Iowa State football is focusing on rebuilding its defense after a successful 2024 season.The Cyclones linebackers have significant depth, creating competition for starting roles.Iowa State’s secondary needs to replace key players, with Jontez Williams and Jeremiah Cooper now leading the young group.
AMES – After some post-spring football takeaways on Iowa State football’s offense, the attention is shifting to the other side of the ball.
Defense was the backbone for Iowa State’s success through most of its 11-3 season.
Heading into the 2025 campaign, the Cyclones had 11 of their 21-man 2025 recruiting class enroll early to participate in spring football. Still, six incoming freshmen on defense have not made it to campus yet: defensive linemen Jack Limbaugh and B.J. Carter, linebacker Will Hawthorne and defensive backs LaMarcus Hicks II, Ethan Stecker and Mason Ellens.
Yale graduate transfer Tamatoa McDonough, who committed back in January, won’t be arriving until he finishes up the semester in May. Last season, the 6-foot-5, 255-pound defensive lineman had 27 total tackles, including eight for loss and an Ivy League-best 6.5 sacks. He also had three forced fumbles, which was the most among Ivy League defensive linemen.
There will be plenty of starting spots to fill and position battles to watch for at every position group. Here are five things to watch for the Cyclones’ defense following the conclusion of spring practice.
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Publish date : 2025-05-01 10:40:00
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