Cyclones continue in rebuilding mode

Orlando Sentinel college insider Matt Murschel ranked all 130 Football Bowl Subdivision teams in the country entering the 2017 season. The Sentinel staff takes a closer look at a new team daily, counting backward from No. 130 to our projected No. 1 team.

State

6 Iowa

Matt Campbell (3-9, entering second season; 38-24 overall)

3-9, 2-7 in the Big 12 Conference, finished ninth in league

Matt Campbell’s first season at the helm of the Iowa State program was a learning experience. The Cyclones were four years removed from the last time they qualified for a bowl game, with the program suffering through three consecutive three-win seasons. While four of the team’s seven conference losses were by double-digit deficits, the team did finish with a bit of a flourish — winning two of its final three games of the season. in 2015 — and allowed 125 points off turnovers. That’s down from 183 points allowed in 2015.

The secondary is the most experienced group on the defensive side of the football, with the return of four starters led by All-Big 12 safety Kamari Cotton-Moya (73 tackles, 2 INTs) and cornerback Brian Peavy (62 tackles, 12 passes defended).

Four departures leave the offensive line lacking experience heading into 2017. Jack Campos (23 career starts) returns from injury and will team with Julian Good-Jones, who was thrust into the starting lineup last season as a freshman. The group has nowhere to go but up after allowing more than 30 sacks for the fourth consecutive season.

Iowa State’s defensive front allowed more than 218 yards per game on the ground, up nearly 30 yards per game from 2015. To make matters worse, the line must replace three starters, including defensive tackles Demond Tucker, Jhaustin Thomas and defensive end Mitchell Meyers. The trio accounted for more than 50 career starts.

Iowa State isn’t a dilapidated program and can be repaired and flipped quickly. It will take some time for Campbell and his staff to recruit the type of players the Cyclones will need to win in the competitive Big 12. The transformation already has started with the 2017 recruiting class. Iowa State averaged higher-ranked players in their class than in the previous five seasons, according to 247Sports.com. Some of those players, including Ray Lima and Matt Leo, could be instant contributors and help provide a stronger foundation for the future.