Iowa State football: Handing out 2024 individual awards to the Cyclones

Iowa State experienced one of the most successful seasons in program history this past year

Rocco Becht showed why he is one of the top returning quarterbacks in 2025 after leading Iowa State. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The 2024 football season will be one to remember for Iowa State, as they set a new team-record for wins while playing for the Big 12 Conference title and winning another bowl game.

Head coach Matt Campbell has positioned the Cyclones to be contenders in the league through building his roster with character kids. Iowa State went 11-3 this past year, capping it all off with a thrilling come-from-behind win over Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl.

Before we turn the page completely on the season and start to look towards the future, we have some awards that need to be handed out. 

Here are the Iowa State football 2024 individual awards: 

Most Valuable Player: Rocco Becht

This one is pretty simple. The Iowa State offense went as Rocco Becht went, as the sophomore threw for 3,505 yards with 25 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He completed almost 60 percent of his passes, adding another 318 yards and eight scores with his legs. 

Becht was at his best in the bowl game, completing 22 of 36 for 270 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He also ran for a fourth score. On the year, the Florida native had nine games with at least 250 yards and threw a touchdown in all 14 games. 

Beau Freyler finished as the leading tackler for the Iowa State defense this past year. / Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Defensive Player of the Year: Beau Freyler

He might have been the unsung hero of the defense, but you could tell how much Beau Freyler meant to the Cyclones when he went down in the bowl game. Freyler still finished the year as the leading tackler on the team with 84 stops. 

Freyler had 46 solo tackles with two interceptions and four passes defended. Despite those impressive numbers, it was the heart that he brought to the field that made him irreplaceable. 

Iowa State leaned on Kyle Konrardy and he delivered, including a game-winning kick vs. Iowa. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Special Teams Player of the Year: Kyle Konrardy

Starting with his game-winning kick vs. in-state rival Iowa, Kyle Konrardy had a season to remember. In a day and age when kicking can get overlooked, he was nearly perfect, making 46 of 48 extra-point attempts and connecting on 75 percent of his field goals.

Konrardy was 2-for-3 from 50-plus, hit 90 percent of his kicks between 30-39 yards and made four from 40-49. He was also perfect under 30 yards, making all six. 

Kooper Ebel was one of the leading tacklers for the Iowa State defense this past year. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Surprise of the Year: Kooper Ebel

From the small fields of Hartley, Iowa, Kooper Ebel stepped up when the Iowa State defense needed him. Ebel filled in at linebacker and shined, making 69 tackles with a sack. The 6-foot-4 sophomore had at least two tackles in every game, including six vs. Miami.

Ebel had a career-high nine stops in a 20-0 win over Houston on the road and recorded his sack vs. Arkansas State. He also had eight tackles vs. Baylor and six in the first three games of the season.

Taylor Mouser led an Iowa State offense that had several big games this past season. / Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK

Coach of the Year: Taylor Mouser

Excluding Matt Campbell from this one, as that is what he would do, Taylor Mouser had the Iowa State offense humming almost week in and week out. Mouser, in his first as offensive coordinator after nearly a decade on the staff, has worked his way up from grad assistant to where he is now. 

Iowa State scored at least 30 points in seven games, going over 40 in three including a season-high 52. They had 3,580 yards passing and 2,247 yards rushing with 52 offensive scores.

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