Iowa State Football: 5 players trending up after spring 2019

AUSTIN, TX - NOVEMBER 17: Kene Nwangwu #3 of the Iowa State Cyclones runs the ball in the second quarter defended by Caden Sterns #7 of the Texas Longhorns at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on November 17, 2018 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

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AMES, IA – OCTOBER 13: Wide receiver Marcus Simms #8 of the West Virginia Mountaineers is tackled by defensive end Will McDonald #99 of the Iowa State Cyclones as he rushed for yards in the first half of play at Jack Trice Stadium on October 13, 2018 in Ames, Iowa. (Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images) /

When Will McDonald chose Iowa State over Baylor and Minnesota, no one could have imagined what kind of potential star he would eventually become.

Though he redshirted as a freshman in 2018, he still managed to play minimally under the new NCAA rules and finished with three tackles, a sack and a forced fumble. He showed good burst on the defensive side of the ball and proved that he could play both defensive end and linebacker as a hybrid-type player.

Heading into the 2019 season as a redshirt freshman, his position is looking more like linebacker than anything else and it makes sense with his 230-pound frame — though he is a towering 6-foot-4.

Spring was kind to the second-year player who was named the Defensive Scout Team Player of the Year in 2018 for the Cyclones and that just sets him up for a monster 2019 campaign as a backup to Jake Hummel. Heck, he could earn a starting job by the end of the season and he’s one of those guys who will soon become a household name in Ames.

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