Iowa State football roster growing together from past experiences

AMES — The 15 transfers from Washington State might be some of the new kids in the Iowa State football program, but in this new Jimmy Rogers regime, they're some of the most important pieces to building the team's base as spring football is underway. Some of them, like defensive lineman Max Baloun, have followed Rogers and the defensive staff since their days at South Dakota State. Others came along for the ride to the Midwest after Rogers' lone year at Washington State.

With a whole new 4-2-5 scheme to learn, after years of Iowa State running the 3-3-5, the former Cougars have been a vital resource to lean on. "They're usually the ones getting some of the first reps and so the guys can watch that," said defensive coordinator Jesse Bobbit. "Some of the teach tape that we're using, naturally is from Washington State, and so they're watching those guys do it...

It's a huge advantage having guys that have already done it, those guys can lean on them and watch those reps be done, whether that's (individual) or team or in a meeting, whatever it is, whatever coach expects, those guys can lead the way in and catch guys up, and we're all working on one page. " Baloun, who is entering his seventh season of college football, has been around Rogers since 2020, when he was the co-defensive coordinator at South Dakota State. He remained with the Jackrabbits through 2024, before joining Rogers, Bobbit and other defensive position coaches at Washington State for the 2025 season.

Unfortunately for the 6-foot-6, 285-pound lineman, he suffered a season-ending ACL injury in September 2025. Before that, he was named a team captain for the Cougars and started in the first four games of the year. More: Iowa State football savoring spring reps | Hines Now, at Iowa State, he's been going through the rehabilitation process to get back on the field, while serving as a guiding force in meeting rooms and from the sidelines.