Iowa
Iowa State football 2026 roster outlook, special teams
New Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on coaching philosophy
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers shared his football coaching philosophy.
Special teams remain an important phase of the game for Iowa State football. While Kyle Konrardy drew plenty of excitement on social media for his commitment to the team, the Cyclones will have new specialists at the top of the depth chart at long snapper and punter this season.
Here is a look at Iowa State’s specialists for 2026. How will new kickers, punters and long snappers fit in on the Cyclones’ roster?
Long snapper
Transfer newcomers:
- Caleb Schmidt, 6-3, 240 (Minot State, Div. II)
Returners: Jacob Lyftogt, Gavin Schieler
The search for a new long snapper has begun, after Drew Clausen opted to transfer out following two seasons with the Cyclones.
Clausen has since committed to newly crowned national champion Indiana.
Caleb Schmidt had the distinction of being Jimmy Rogers’ first transfer commitment since taking the Iowa State head coaching job.
Interestingly, Schmidt received recruiting interest from Matt Campbell’s coaching staff, but with special teams coordinator Rob Grande remaining on staff for the Rogers era, that may have helped keep Iowa State an appealing destination.
Iowa State AD Jamie Pollard on what to expect from coach Jimmy Rogers
Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard discussed what to expect from new football coach Jimmy Rogers.
Kicker
Transfer newcomers:
- Adlai Lounsbury, R-Fr., 6-4, 183 (Washington State)
Returners: Kyle Konrardy, Chase Smith
Kyle Konrardy undoubtedly will have the starting job locked down for the remainder of his career, but it’s amazing how timing and circumstance opened the opportunity for Adlai Lounsbury to come to Ames and potentially be the starting kicker of the future.
Lounsbury, a Van Meter native, grew up a Cyclone fan. However, his kicking career took him to Washington State. With the coaching change and roster shakeup, it gave Lounsbury an opportunity to follow Rogers and return to his home state.
He didn’t appear in any games in 2025 and will have all four years of eligibility remaining.
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on building competitive team
Iowa State football coach Jimmy Rogers on his thoughts for building a competitive team for 2026 and beyond.
Punter
Transfer newcomers: None
Returners: Jonah DuPont
High school commits:
- Ethan Gurney, 6-3, 195, 3-star P
It wouldn’t be surprising if there are some walk-ons to fill out roster depth once the summer arrives, but for now it’s a two-man race for the starting punter job.
Iowa State recently celebrated the graduation of Tyler Perkins, who statistically had one of the greatest careers as a punter in Cyclone history. Perkins, a two-time All-Big 12 honorable mention, was the starting punter for the last four years.
Jonah DuPont redshirted last season, but he was previously the punter for junior college power Iowa Western. He was named a Division I junior college All-American second-team punter.
As for Ethan Gurney, the 6-foot-3 Aussie is a three-star prospect and the No. 11 overall punter in the country, according to 247 Sports.
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
An Iowa women’s basketball transfer portal visitor committed to one of the Hawkeyes’ conference foes instead. Former Iowa State guard Kenzie Hare took a visit to Iowa during her transfer portal recruitment, but the 5-foot-9 guard committed to Indiana on Sunday night.
Hare had several visits throughout her transfer portal recruiting process, including trips to Michigan and Illinois State, but the Des Moines Register’s Chad Leistikow reported that Hare also visited Iowa.
On3’s Talia Goodman reported Hare’s commitment to the Hoosiers.
Hare has one year of eligibility remaining. This past season with the Cyclones, in 32 games played and 31 starts, Hare averaged 6.0 points and 2.5 rebounds per game on 40.5% field goal shooting and 40% from 3-point range. A hip injury limited Hare to just 10 games during her first year with the Cyclones in the 2024-25 season.
The soon-to-be redshirt senior transferred to Iowa State before the 2024-25 campaign after spending two seasons at Marquette from 2022-24. Hare averaged a career-best 14 points per game on 45.5% field goal shooting and 42.5% 3-point shooting during the 2023-24 season with the Golden Eagles.
Had Iowa been able to lure the Naperville, Ill., native to Iowa City, Hare would have been another valuable addition to the Hawkeyes’ backcourt depth. But, Iowa has landed other backcourt reinforcements throughout this transfer portal cycle.
The Hawkeyes inked both Dani Carnegie and Amari Whiting.
Carnegie was a first-team All-SEC selection this past season at Georgia, averaging 17.8 points per game on 42.7% field goal shooting, 35.4% from 3-point range and 83.3% from the free-throw line. Whiting averaged 9.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.8 steals per game on 42.5% field goal shooting, 32.1% 3-point accuracy, and 71.6% free-throw shooting.
As Hare joins a promising core of players in Bloomington, the Hawkeyes will once again face the former Cyclone at least once this upcoming season as part of their Big Ten regular-season slate.
Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes, and opinions. Follow Scout on X: @SpringgateNews
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) – Senator Chuck Grassley said he’s recovering from a gallstone removal procedure.
His media team shared that he is working in Iowa “in good spirits and looks forward to returning to Washington soon.”
“I’m gr8ful [sic] for the excellent care from local health care providers,” he shared on X.
Over the weekend in Iowa I had a procedure to remove gallstones I’m gr8ful for the excellent care from local health care providers Be back to capitol ASAP
— Chuck Grassley (@ChuckGrassley) April 20, 2026
Grassley, 92, is the oldest senator currently in office and the sixth-longest-serving senator in U.S. history.
The Senate is in session this week.
Copyright 2026 KCRG. All rights reserved.
Former Iowa State center Audi Crooks has committed to Oklahoma State via the NCAA Transfer Portal. She has one season of eligibility remaining.
Crooks made 99 appearances and 95 starts during her three seasons at Iowa State. She averaged 25.8 points, 7.7 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game this past season, while shooting 64.9% from the field. Additionally, the 6-foot-3 star shot 1-11 from 3-point range.
Crooks played a leading role for the Cyclones from the moment she stepped on campus. She is a three-time All-Big 12 First-Team selection and two-time All-American. On April 2, Crooks announced her intention to enter the transfer portal.
“Cyclone Nation, thank you all for embracing me and showing up to Hilton every single game day. I’ve met so many of you out in the community, and I will cherish all of the genuine connections that I’ve built during my time at Iowa State,” Crooks wrote. “Words cannot fully express how grateful I feel to have called this place home.
“I want to thank my teammates for their friendship and all the great memories. … I still believe the grass is greener where you water it, and I’ve done that here.”
Now, Audi Crooks will aim to thrive in her new environment. Oklahoma finished the 2025-26 season with a 24-10 overall record.
The NCAA Transfer Portal officially opened on April 6 and closes on April 20. The new 15-day window was enacted following a recommendation by the women’s basketball oversight committee. Athletes don’t have to commit to a new school by the April 21 deadline.
To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.
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