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Countdown to College Football Kickoff: Top NFL prospects at Iowa State

Could Iowa State be on the verge of a historic season?

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Countdown to College Football Kickoff: Top NFL prospects at Iowa State
Countdown to College Football Kickoff: Top NFL prospects at Iowa State /

College football is scheduled to return Saturday, August 29. Each day until then, NFLDraftScout.com will be evaluating the rosters of the best teams in college football, including all 64 within the Power Five conferences.

Iowa State Cyclones

Head Coach: Matt Campbell (fifth season)

2019 Record: 7-6

2020 NFL Draft Picks: None

Overview:

Since finishing 3-9 in 2016, his first year at the helm, head coach Matt Campbell has guided the Cyclones to three consecutive winning seasons with berths in the Liberty, Alamo and most recently the Camping World Bowl.

That is notable as the Cyclones have not gone four consecutive years with a winning record since the 1920s, when the team strung together five straight seasons at 4-3-1 in the now defunct Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association, a precursor to the Big XII (which wasn’t created until 1996).

While nothing during the Covid-19 era appears certain, Campbell and Iowa State maintaining their positive momentum seems likely given all of the talent returning.

The team not only is bringing back standout junior quarterback Brock Purdy - who completed 65.7% of his passes last season for 3,982 yards and 27 touchdowns against just nine interceptions – but also splashy true sophomore running back Breece Hall, whose 897 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground led the team. Gritty and instinctive, Purdy also finished second on the team in both rushing yards (249) and scores (eight) last year, very nearly leading the Cyclones to an upset over Oklahoma.

There is, however, significant upheaval at wide receiver where the Cyclones will need young talent to step up. This squad leans heavily on its talented tight ends but 131 of the 197 receptions thrown to wide receivers last year were caught by departing upperclassmen Deshaunte Jones (76 catches for 877 yards and two touchdowns) and La’Michael Pettway (55-676-six). Fortunately for Iowa State, stud junior tight end Charlie Kolar and his team-leading seven touchdown receptions returns, as does the team’s best big play element at wideout in the speedy Tarique Milton, who “only” caught 35 balls and three scores last year, but averaged an eye-popping 20.6 yards per catch in doing so, finishing second on the squad to Jones with 722 receiving yards.

Flush with playmakers, it perhaps is not surprising that Iowa State’s offense generated plenty of points in 2019, averaging 32.2 points per game (39 in the FBS), nearly a touchdown more than at any other time during Campbell’s tenure.

The defense may lack big names and splashy production – linebacker O’rien Vance led the Cyclones with just 6.5 sacks last year and free safety Lawrence White led the team in interceptions… with two – but effort and intensity is not an issue. Iowa State fell to third in the conference in points allowed on defense last year (25.9) after quietly being the league’s toughest in 2018, giving up exactly a field goal less.

Losses to Kansas State (27-17) and Notre Dame (33-9) to close out the 2019 season ruined what could have been just the second nine-win campaign in the school’s 122 year history (2000). As such, expect the Cyclones to return focused with another winning season, bowl game appearance and a return to NFL draft relevancy likely.

Featured 2021 NFL Draft Prospect: Brock Purdy, QB, 6-1, 212, 4.80, JR

With all due respect to Campbell as head coach, Purdy has been the catalyst for much of Iowa State’s success the past two years. He is coming off of the greatest statistical season in Cyclone history at the quarterback position, joining only Heisman Trophy winner, national champion and 2020 No. 1 overall Joe Burrow in being the only two quarterbacks last year to throw for at least 3,900 passing yards, 35 (or more) touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions, earning Second Team All-Big 12 honors.

It isn’t often that Iowa State pulls recruits out of the sunny state of Arizona but that is precisely where Campbell and Co. found Purdy, convincing him to become a Cyclone with higher profile programs like Alabama, Texas A&M and Central Florida among the others pursuing him. The three-star recruit took over as Iowa State’s starter five games into his true freshman season and the Cyclones took off after, finishing the 2018 5-2 with Purdy earning honorable mention all-conference accolades from league coaches and ESPN naming him the Big 12’s Freshman of the Year after he completed 66.4% of his passes for 2,250 yards and 16 touchdowns against seven interceptions.

Proving that his freshman season was no fluke, Purdy exploded last year, starting all 13 games and setting 18 new school records (game, season, career) by the conclusion of the campaign, including passing yardage and passing touchdowns. It is worth noting that like in 2018, Purdy’s postseason accolades from the Big 12 came from league coaches, and not the media. He was named Second Team all-conference.

To put that in perspective, only one other time has an Iowa State quarterback earned as much as Second Team All-Big 12 honors. That was Seneca Wallace, another supposedly undersized playmaker who spent 11 seasons in the NFL (2003-2013) – which is where Purdy (and a couple of his pass-catching teammates) look headed.

Strengths: Say what you will about his size, Purdy is a talented passer, showing impressive accuracy on a variety of throws in this offense. He is an instinctive player, quickly reading the defense and taking full advantage of blitzes, throwing the ball where defenders have just vacated or tucking and running himself when free yards are given up. He has a quick set-up and delivery, typically throwing with a clean, over-the-top release when he has time in the pocket, stepping into his throws and delivering strikes to all areas of the field, including deep. Among his most intriguing strengths, however, is Purdy’s accuracy and speed in the quick game, zipping highly accurate darts to backs and receivers on screens while often dropping his arm angle to throw around defenders rather than over them. Though his accuracy and anticipation are more impressive, when he keeps his base and steps into his throws, Purdy shows at least average arm strength to make deep throws to the sideline and he is very effective throwing down the seam and sidelines, throwing with beautiful trajectory to allow teammates to run under his passes. 

Purdy is a creative and confident passer, squeezing passes through tight windows. He shows grit and some mettle under pressure, nearly leading the Cyclones to a shocking comeback over the Sooners with his potential game-winning 2-point conversion hitting his intended receiver in the belly… 

While not truly agile or speedy, Purdy shows good spatial awareness of defenders around him and improvisational ability, scrambling effectively and showing enough accuracy and arm strength on the move to frustrate defenders who give up their coverage to pursue him. 

Highly competitive. Enters his true junior season with 21 games started already under his belt. Voted a co-captain in 2019 as a sophomore… Athletic bloodlines. Father, Shawn, played baseball at the University of Miami and in the minor leagues. Brother, Chubba, is a quarterback at Florida State…

Weaknesses: Obvious size concerns, appearing even smaller on film than the 6-1, 212 pounds he is officially listed as by Iowa State… Takes virtually all of his snaps out of shotgun and there are plenty of examples on tape of Purdy struggling to see over the oncoming rush with passes tipped at the line of scrimmage a concern. Has developed some bad habits, including too often backpedaling rather than firmly setting his feet and firing passes, sapping velocity from the ball. 

Streaky passer... When he's cold, Purdy can get absolutely frigid, throwing the ball into coverage and getting frazzled, at times, by pressure... May have smaller hands as the ball wobbles a bit in the air, making it tougher for his receivers to track and possibly contributing to the disproportionate number of drops by the Cyclones… More pesky than problematic as a scrambler. Isn’t going to outrun very many NFL defenders and is more courageous than elusive or powerful.

NFL Player Comparison: Ryan Fitzpatrick, Miami Dolphins – The 6-2, 228 pound Fitzpatrick is slightly bigger than Purdy but otherwise there are lots of similarities in their game, not the least of which is their accuracy and guts. Purdy may never prove a fulltime starter in the NFL, but do not be surprised if he outlasts some of the more traditional passers drafted ahead of him whenever he decides to pursue the pros.

Current NFL Draft Projection: Third Round

The Top 10 NFL Prospects at Iowa State:

1. Brock Purdy, QB, 6-1, 212, 4.80, JR

2. Tarique Milton, WR, 5-09, 176, 4.45, rJR

3. Charlie Kolar, TE, 6-5, 250, 4.75, rJR

4. Greg Eisworth, S, 5-11, 198, 4.55, rSR

5. Lawrence White, S, 6-0, 191, 4.45, rSR

6. Chase Allen, TE, 6-6, 240, 4.75, rSR

7. Anthony Johnson, CB, 6-0, 175, 4.45, JR

8. O’Rien Vance, ILB, 6-1, 235, 4.80, rJR

9. Will McDonald, OLB, 6-3, 220, 4.60, rSoph

10. Eyioma Uwazurike, DE, 6-5, 285, 4.90, rSR

*All 40-yard dash times are estimates

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