With the college football season set to start, the Iowa State Cyclones will be at home for Week 1 against Southeast Missouri State. The Cyclones will be expected to handle their business as a big favorite, but watching who performs well will be key. 

Following a pretty strong campaign last season, Iowa State was hit hard after the departure of their long-time head coach Matt Campbell. As expected in the transfer portal era, most of the team left the program, with many following him to the Penn State Nittany Lions. 

This left head coach Jimmy Rogers in a tough spot, with the portal being how he needed to rebuild this team. While it certainly wasn’t easy, he was able to fill out the roster, and the hope will be that with some good coaching, the players they added will improve. One group that the team will be hoping to see some good play from is at wide receiver. 

Wide Receiver Corps Could Be a Strength

With the first game of the season just over a week away, the Cyclones are going to have no shortage of things to watch. This is a completely different roster from last year, and one of the position groups that is going to have a different look is at wide receiver. 

Despite losing a ton of talent, this group could be a strength for the team. Quarterback Jaylen Raynor is coming off a 3,000-yard passing season with the Arkansas State Red Wolves, and the hope will be that he can replicate that in the Big 12. 

In order for that to happen, he will need to build some chemistry with his new wide receivers. When looking at the group, there are a couple of players who have some appealing upside, and the passing attack might surprise some people. 

Omari Hayes figures to be the best of the bunch. He is coming off a good season with the Tulane Green Wave, totaling 39 receptions, 515 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown. 

Another talented name to keep an eye on is Cody Jackson. The senior was originally on the Oklahoma Sooners before spending time with the Tarleton State Texans the last two seasons. It will be a step up in competition, but he totaled 799 receiving yards last year. 

Furthermore, another wide receiver to keep an eye on is the returning Dominic Overby. The sophomore started to get his feet wet with the Cyclones last year and, after showing some promise, should be in the mix for a nice role. 

Overall, this group is showing some promise, and with a favorable matchup in Week 1, it will be a great opportunity for them to prove what they can do.