Iowa State Football: Can Cyclones repeat magical season?
Offense
The Cyclones lost All-Big 12 receiver Allen Lazard along with fellow receivers Marchie Murdock and Trever Ryen, all key pieces to the offense. Other than that, the Cyclones have one void on the offensive line and the rest of the pieces are back. That alone should have Cyclone fans ecstatic.
Is Kyle Kempt a lock to be the Cyclones starting quarterback?
Without a doubt, Kyle Kempt has proven he can win and have a great deal of success in the Big 12. Kempt, an honorable mention Big 12 selection had a 5-3 record as a starter last season including three wins against top 20 teams (Oklahoma, TCU, and Memphis). If you’re looking for a gunslinger, Kempt is not your man but instead a guy that is never phased and takes care of the football.
Not far behind is Redshirt sophomore Zeb Noland who has seen action in the past for Iowa State including a start against Baylor last year. Noland has all the potential to be a very successful starting quarterback in the Big 12 but another year of development would pay off big time. Very rarely has Iowa State made it through an entire season with only one starting quarterback so don’t be surprised if you see Noland playing some quality snaps this fall.
Add early enrollee true-freshman Re-al Mitchell into the mix and the Cyclones have plenty of options at quarterback. Mitchell is your prototypical dual-threat quarterback and rumor has it he was more than impressive this fall. A guy with the speed and athleticism of Mitchell will find his way onto the field someway, somehow, likely as a wildcat quarterback.
Just how good can David Montgomery be?
The past two seasons, running back David Montgomery has been nothing short of incredible. The junior rushed for 1,146 yards and 11 touchdowns while adding another 296 yards receiving. Keep in mind this was all behind an inexperienced offensive line.
For once, the Cyclones return experience on the offensive line. The combination of Julian Good-Jones, Josh Knipfel, Sean Foster and Bryce Meeker have all played quality snaps and already played in a combined 69 games as Cyclones. It sounds like redshirt-freshman Colin Newell will be replacing Good-Jones at center with Good-Jones moving to left tackle. Experience on the offensive line is a must, look for the offensive line to be a strength this season and allow Montgomery to be even better.
According to Pro Football Focus, Montgomery was the best in the country at forcing missed tackles. Having an experienced offensive line should allow Montgomery to worry less about juking and more about gaining yards. Cyclone fans need to enjoy having Montgomery around as this year may be his last. CBS Sports has Montgomery ranked as the no. 14 ranked prospect heading into the 2019 draft. If it happens to be his last year in a Cyclone uniform, enjoy it Cyclone fans, he is an incredible talent.
Who becomes Kempt’s main targets at receiver?
The Cyclones lose 53 percent of their receptions heading into the 2018 season but there are plenty of options going forward. First and foremost is redshirt-junior Hakeem Butler. Butler was the second leading receiver for the Cyclones last season catching 41 passes for 697 yards and seven touchdowns. At 6-foot-6 he is a matchup nightmare and a guy that is going to blossom as the Cyclones number one target.
Butler won’t be able to do it all but Iowa State will plenty of other options. Junior Deshaunte Jones, redshirt-senior Matthew Eaton have had productive careers but will heavily be relied on this coming season.