The Iowa State Football program has been hard at work during spring practices with a new regime taking over following the departure of Matt Campbell. While a lot of the former head coaches’ players will be playing at other schools in 2026, one key player is hoping to hear his name called in the NFL Draft. 

It was a bit of an up-and-down season for the Cyclones, who had a nice winning streak to start the year, but followed it with a four-game losing streak. Some of the inconsistencies were related to injuries with key players being out on the defensive side of the ball. 

This was a unit that was expected to be a bit better than they were in 2026, but the secondary got completely decimated over the course of the year. This had a bit of a ripple effect on the rest of the team, even along their defensive front. However, one player was still able to put together a strong campaign despite all of the teammates around him being out, and now he will be hoping to be drafted into the NFL. 

ESPN NFL Draft experts recently predicted what the first three rounds would look like, and for Iowa State star Domonique Orange, they had him going to the Cincinnati Bengals with the 72nd overall pick. 

Orange Makes Sense for Bengals

After another year of failing to make the playoffs, Cincinnati undoubtedly has some work to do to get back to where they want to be. It wasn’t long ago that this team was in the Super Bowl, and Joe Burrow looked like he could be a main rival of Patrick Mahomes for years to come. 

However, injuries to Burrow the last couple of years have resulted in some of the struggles for the team, but they have also seen their defense really go in the wrong direction. With a top quarterback and two excellent receivers making a ton of money, the Bengals have had to save in other areas, and the defensive side of the ball is one of them. 

Drafting well is an easy way to save money and improve, and landing a player like Orange could be a good start for the Bengals. The talented defensive tackle was one of the best interior defensive linemen in the Big 12, and he should be able to come into the NFL and contribute right away. Due to the position not being a primary one, getting a potential contributor in the third round would be some excellent value for the Bengals. 

The weather might still not be great, but the high school boys’ tennis season has started in Iowa.

Over the years, some high-level players have competed in Iowa, and this year is no different.

Defending Class 1A state champion Charlie LeGrand of Cedar Rapids Xavier is back, as are runners-up Easton Moon from North Polk and Dylan Schulte of Cedar Rapids Prairie.

Here is a look at some of the top players in Iowa high school boys tennis. Stats are from those on the official Bound website.

Iowa High School Boys Tennis Top Returning Players

Charlie LeGrand, Cedar Rapids Xavier, Senior

LeGrand returns off a state-title junior season that saw him finish 14-3 overall.

Easton Moon, North Polk, Senior

Moon lost just once last year, falling to Charlie LeGrand of Cedar Rapids Xavier in the 1A final. He was 29-1 overall winning nearly 300 games.

Dylan Schulte, Cedar Rapids Prairie, Sophomore

The 2A runner-up to his brother, Anthony Schulte, Dylan Schulte went a perfect 17-0 competing at No. 2 for the Hawks as a freshman.

Noah Narmi, Council Bluffs St. Albert, Senior

Narmi had a strong junior season, going 21-7 overall and competing at the state tournament in 1A.

Parker Stroh, Columbus Catholic, Junior

In 20 matches last year, Stroh lost just two, going 33-6 overall in sets played while reaching the state singles tournament.

Lucas Persson, North Scott, Senior

Persson finished with a perfect 17-0 record in the regular season, dropping just two sets in 32 played. He was a qualifier for the 2A state singles tournament.

Jonathan Pyatak, Chariton, Junior

As a sophomore, Pyatak was tough to beat, compiling a mark of 16-4 overall at No. 1.

Tyler Grote, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Senior

Grote enters his senior season off a 15-2 campaign last spring that saw him reach the state tournament in 1A.

Leif Lundberg, Clear Lake, Senior

Like Grote, Lundberg went 15-2 competing at the No. 1 spot for the Lions, while also qualifying for state.

Garrett Bauermeister, Linn-Mar, Senior

Bauermeister went 30-6 in sets played at the top spot, finishing with a 15-2 record and a spot at the 2A state tournament.

William Feagler, Iowa City High, Sophomore

The talented second-year player had a big freshman season, going 15-1 at No. 2 and qualifying for state.

Karthik Ganesh, Pleasant Valley, Senior

Competing at the No. 2 spot in the order, Ganesh went 14-2 last season, losing just three sets.

Joseph Wright, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Senior

Wright forms a strong 1-2 punch with Grote, as he was 14-1 with just one lost set last year at the second spot.

Aadil Patel, Johnston, Sophomore

The Dragons are always tough, and Patel looks to keep that true this year after putting together a 13-3 mark at No. 2 that saw himq qualify for state singles.

Joshua Dcruz, Pleasant Valley, Junior

Unbeaten is unbeaten, and that’s what Dcruz was at No. 3 last year, going 16-0 without losing a set.

Caleb Rasmussen, Marshalltown, Senior

Another unbeaten player at No. 3 last spring was Rasmussen, as he went 12-0 and lost just one set all year.