Iowa State Football: Can Cyclones repeat magical season?
Defense
The Iowa State defense loses arguably the most versatile player in college football, linebacker Joel Lanning. Along with Lanning, the Cyclones will be forced to replace their entire back-end of their secondary with Evrett Edwards and Kamari Cotton-Moya graduating. Fortunately for the Cyclones, defensive coordinator Jon Heacock is a mastermind and has plenty of pieces to work with. A Cyclone defense that only gave up 21 points per game last year has the potential to be even better.
Could this year’s defensive line be one of the best in Cyclones history?
Iowa State’s defensive line returns eight defensive linemen with playing experience and for the first time in a long time, the defensive line will be a strength for the Cyclones. Defensive tackles Ray Lima and Kamilo Tongamoa will be relied on to man the middle and both have had proven success. Last season Matt Campbell called Ray Lima “The unsung hero of the Cyclones defense”.
Add to the mix Junior JaQuan Bailey and the defensive line is loaded. The honorable mention All-Big 12 selection has emerged as a force on the defensive line making 17 tackles for loss the past two seasons. Bailey will only be better this year and should wreak havoc in opposing teams backfields.
Matt Leo, Carson Lensing, and Spencer Benton have all played valuable snaps at defensive end and will also be relied upon to contribute this fall. All in all, this a defensive line that should be towards the top in production in the Big 12.
Who replaces Joel Lanning at middle linebacker?
Whoever fills in at middle linebacker will have some big shoes to fill. Joel Lanning made the shift from quarterback to linebacker look easy as he accounted for 114 tackles including 11 tackles for loss. It is safe to say the middle linebacker position is one of the most important as usually they are seen making the calls and dissecting defenses.
Returning linebackers Marcel Spears and Wille Harvey combined to record 183 tackles including 20 tackles for loss. The favorites to win the battle at middle linebacker are redshirt freshman O’Rien Vance and redshirt sophomore Tymar Sutton. Both guys have yet to play valuable snaps for the Cyclones as Vance is coming off a redshirt year and Sutton has only recorded four tackles in his Cyclone career.
According to Chris Williams of Cyclone Fanatic, O’Rien Vance has the upper leg as Matt Campbell said he may have the most upside on the Iowa State roster. Look for Iowa State to explore multiple options early in the year and hopefully know 100 percent heading into Big 12 play.
Who fills the void at secondary for the Cyclones?
Starters Evrett Edwards and Kamari Cotton-Moya are both gone meaning the Cyclones need to find two players to fill the back end. In the pass-heavy Big 12, the secondary is crucial and Iowa State will be forced to find two reliable replacements.
Junior College transfer Greg Eisworth will likely fill one of the spots at secondary. Eisworth was a former four-star recruit by ESPN and held offers from Baylor and Oklahoma, ultimately choosing Mississippi before transferring to Trinity Valley Community College. The early enrollee was really impressive in spring practice receiving high praise from Matt Campbell who called him the “Spring MVP” of the defense. With praise like this from coach Campbell, Eisworth is almost a lock to start game one against South Dakota State.
Filling the other safety position may be a bit more difficult for the Cyclones. Expect the competition to continue into fall camp. It will likely come down to redshirt sophomore Lawrence White and redshirt freshman Keontae Jones.
White is likely the favorite heading into fall camp with one start under his belt in the Liberty Bowl. With 16 career tackles and a solid performance against Memphis, don’t be surprised if it is Lawrence White and Greg Eisworth manning the back end of the secondary for the Cyclones.