Peterson: Iowa State football transfer-portal additions point toward improved offense

Could it be? Could Iowa State be headed toward an offense that includes more passes?

Returning quarterback. Top receivers are back. So is a tight end who's among the nation’s finest. And the Cyclones picked up a transfer-portal receiver who appears to have a lot of talent.

Let’s put it this way: A freshman All-American quarterback and his top targets (plus one) aren’t just filling roster and sideline space.

More: Peterson: 2023 is Matt Campbell's best season as Iowa State football coach

Don’t think Air-Raid. That’s not happening, nor should it in a program that includes star sophomore-to-be running back Abu Sama, a wonderful rookie recruit named Dylan Lee, and a portal transfer.

Given that Rocco Becht no longer is a rookie quarterback, and given that his receivers have proven to be good, the Cyclones certainly enter the spring phase in March with more passing-game confidence than they had at this time last year.

Does that translate to more passing attempts during a 2024 season that includes seven home games, plus a possible Iowa State-Kansas game at Arrowhead Stadium (due to construction on the Jayhawks’ Memorial Stadium)?

The Cyclones’ passing offense was solid last season. Against nine conference opponents, they averaged 243.0 passing yards a game, ranking sixth in the 14-team Big 12.

With everyone who's returning, plus Army transfer receiver Isaiah Alston, Nate Scheelhaase’s offense should be a significant upgrade from 81st nationally in 2023.

Higher focus on passing is just an assumption, but given that the top four receivers return – Jaylin Noel, Jayden Higgins, Ben Brahmer and Daniel Jackson – that’s got to be appealing to a veteran quarterback. Statistically, that’s 67.6% of the receptions and 75.8 % of the yards coming back. That's a bunch.

We’ll see what’s up the sleeves of head coach Matt Campbell and offensive coordinator Scheelhaase at some point early during the 2024 season. But for now, let’s focus on the four portal transfers who have joined the program since December's national signing day (with more possible after spring practice).

How and where will they fit into a depth chart that already appears to be strong?

ISAIAH ALSTON, 6-4, 195-pound receiver from Army

A high-level receiver playing for a run-first team? Maybe that’s why he’s playing his final two seasons elsewhere, after being sidelined with injury after the fourth game last season.

Alston averaged 29.6 yards per catch last season; he had nine receptions. He enters Iowa State with 49 catches for 1,031 yards and six touchdowns in 27 career games.

Alston also received portal offers from Big 12 schools Kansas and Houston.

More: Peterson: There's no reason to think Iowa State football can't keep trending positively

DYLAN BARRETT, 6-5, 230-pound center from Wisconsin

A three-star 2020 recruit with offers from Iowa, Illinois, Purdue, Northwestern and Cincinnati out of high school, Barrett mostly was a Badgers depth-chart player, adding versatility at both guard and center.

At Iowa State, he’ll be competition for center Jim Bonifas, a workhorse who rarely missed a play while starting all 13 games last season.

CARTER DAVIS, 6-0, 210-pound kicker from Florida Atlantic

He was 2-for-4 on field goals, his longest being from 47 yards, in two FAU seasons. Couple that with 23-for-23 accuracy on PATs, and 64 touchbacks on 116 kickoffs, and he might compete for playing time. Word around the program is that Campbell likes walk-on kicker Kyle Konrardy. In 2022 at Dubuque Senior, Konrardy made eight of his 10 field-goal attempts, the longest coming from 52 yards. He was on the Cyclones’ roster last season but didn’t play.

JAYLON JACKSON, 5-6, 168-pound running back from Eastern Michigan

Listed as a running back, the expectation is that the speedy change-of-pace runner will be given a chance to show his stuff on special teams – specifically as a kickoff returner. That was his thing the past two seasons at Eastern Michigan, where he averaged 23.8 yards on 41 kickoff returns. His resume includes 89- and 84-yard touchdown returns.

What’s all this mean?

It’s an acknowledgment that the offense needed immediate attention. That doesn’t necessarily mean returning starters will be unseated. It’s that "competition breeds success" cliché thing. Here’s a look at a potential starting lineup (based mostly on returning starters) when Iowa State opens the 2024 season at home against North Dakota on Aug. 31 at Jack Trice Stadium.

QB: Becht, RB: Sama, TE: Brahmer, FL: Stevo Klotz, Rec: Noel, Rec: Higgins (and Jackson), LT: James Neal, LG: Jarrod Hufford, C: Bonifas, RG: Brendan Black, RT: Tyler Miller.

DE: Joey Petersen, NG: J.R. Singleton, DT: Dom Orange, DE: Tyler Oneydim, LB: Kooper Ebel, LB: Jack Sadowsky, LB: Will McLaughlin, MS: Beau Freyler. Saf: Malik Verdon, Saf: Jeremiah Cooper, CB: Myles Purchase, CB: Jontez Williams.

The only non-regular returning starters among the list are Ebel and Williams. That’s how experienced Campbell’s ninth Cyclone team is. That’s a bunch of every-game 2023 starters returning for 2024.

Still, there’s room for position competition. There’s room for transfer-portal additions, especially on special teams.

And there’s every reason to believe Iowa State could be picked in the upper division of the new 16-team Big 12 Conference.

Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 52nd year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, on X @RandyPete, and at DesMoinesRegister.com/CyclonesTexts

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: What do recent transfer-portal additions mean for Iowa State football?