Locked On Cyclones - Daily Podcast on Iowa State Cyclones Football & Basketball

Big 12 Media Days serve as a pivotal platform for Iowa State University's football program, offering a unique opportunity for both its athletes and Head Coach Matt Campbell to address the most pressing questions surrounding the team. In the pre-season, speculation runs rampant, and fans, analysts, and rivals alike are eager for insights into the team's readiness, strategy, and overall outlook. For...

The recent preseason ranking by the Locked On Podcast Network, placing Iowa State as the 5th best football team in the Big 12, might initially sting for some fans. After years of battling for respect, a mid-conference ranking could be perceived as a slight, a reminder that the Cyclones aren't yet universally seen as an elite program. However, a deeper look reveals this ranking to be a significant...

Big 12 shakeup: BYU QB Jake Retzlaff exits, Texas State joins PAC-12. Is college football's landscape shifting dramatically? Host Drake Toll and the squad analyze Retzlaff's departure from BYU Football and its impact on the Cougars' upcoming season. The team dissects Texas State's surprising move to the PAC-12, exploring potential recruiting battles and conference realignment strategies. Discussio...

The college football transfer portal is a dynamic and established reality, and a new, one-time summer transfer portal window has indeed been announced, running from July 7th to August 5th. This specific window, as reported by Ross Dellenger, comes with a critical caveat: only coaches can place players on a "Designated Student-Athlete" (DSA) list, allowing them to enter this particular portal. This...

Jamie Pollard's declaration that every Iowa State athlete will receive Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) payments signals a significant shift in collegiate athletics, particularly regarding resource allocation. While seemingly equitable, this broad distribution inherently means less of the "lion's share" revenue generated by football and men's basketball will flow directly to those marquee players....

The recent news of Jake Retzlaff entering the transfer portal after a seven-game suspension from BYU sends ripples across the Big 12, potentially offering a significant boost to Iowa State's championship aspirations. While one player's departure might seem minor, Retzlaff's situation could be the "final piece" that tilts the scales in the Cyclones' favor for a Big 12 title game appearance. BYU, al...

Iowa State's offensive line projects as a significant strength for the 2025 football season, offering a crucial foundation for their aspirations, particularly in the pivotal Week 1 matchup against Kansas State in Dublin. The Cyclones are poised to leverage their experience and continuity upfront, a rare commodity in modern college football. This unit, often the unsung hero, will be instrumental in...

BYU Cougars Football lands 5-star QB sensation Ryder Lyons. Is this the game-changer that propels BYU to Big 12 dominance? Dive into the seismic impact of Lyons' commitment on BYU's football program and the Big 12 landscape. Hosts break down the significance of this rare 5-star recruit for the Cougars, exploring how it stacks up against rival Utah's recruiting efforts. The conversation tackles BYU...

The University of Wisconsin's recent lawsuit against the University of Miami, alleging tampering and tortious interference regarding defensive back Xavier Lucas, marks a pivotal moment in college athletics. This is not a hypothetical scenario, but a very real and groundbreaking legal battle stemming directly from the complexities of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) collectives, aggressive recruitin...

The commitment of highly-touted quarterback Ryder Lyons to BYU underscores a growing concern for programs like Iowa State in the evolving collegiate athletic landscape, illustrating the broader challenges they face in attracting top-tier talent. While a single recruit's decision rarely defines a program's trajectory, it highlights the competitive pressures intensified by Name, Image, and Likeness...

Rocco Becht's journey to the NFL is poised to defy the narratives that often plague quarterbacks from "run-first" programs like Iowa State. While some pundits might suggest the Cyclones' traditional offensive schemes could hinder his professional development, this perspective overlooks Becht's inherent talent and the evolving landscape of college football. His arm talent, pocket presence, and impr...

The departure of dynamic playmakers like Xavier Hutchinson and Darren Wilson (not Higgins and Noel, who were not Iowa State players) to the NFL leaves a significant void in the Iowa State offense. However, the deep and talented tight end room could be the definitive answer to maintaining offensive potency, not just through the air, but crucially, on the ground. Iowa State's tight ends have histori...

College sports face a financial reckoning. Are non-revenue generating programs doomed in the wake of the House settlement? Drake Toll and a panel of Big 12 experts tackle the controversial future of collegiate athletics. The discussion spans the viability of Olympic sports, donor influence on program decisions, and the cultural impact of diverse athletic offerings. Jake Hatch provides insights on...

The commitment of Lucas Tenbrock, the nation's top punter in the 2026 class, marks a significant turning point for the Iowa State football program. In a sport where special teams constitute a crucial one-third of the game, securing a talent of Tenbrock's caliber addresses a historically inconsistent area for the Cyclones. For years, Iowa State has sought to elevate its special teams unit to match...

The recent decision by highly-touted recruit Jett Thomalla to flip his commitment from Iowa State to Alabama might, at first glance, appear to be a setback for the Cyclones. Losing a prospect to a program now led by Kalen DeBoer, with Alabama's unparalleled legacy of championships and NFL talent, could be seen as a familiar narrative: the blue-blood school swooping in. However, a deeper analysis r...

ESPN's recent prediction of a mere seven wins for Iowa State football appears remarkably out of touch with the program's trajectory under Matt Campbell. The foundation of their argument, heavily leaning on "missing production" from the previous season, inadvertently exposes a deeper, more concerning undercurrent: a distinct lack of faith in Campbell's ability to consistently elevate and maintain a...

The Iowa State Cyclones' wide receiver corps possesses the untapped potential to be the decisive factor elevating the team above key Big 12 rivals like Kansas State and throughout the entire season. While Iowa State's identity has often been rooted in a strong running game and stingy defense, a breakout performance from its pass-catchers could unlock a new dimension for the offense. Historically,...

NIL rules shake up college sports landscape. Will the "House settlement" revolutionize athlete compensation or lead to under-the-table deals? The Big 12 Squad dissects recent changes to Name, Image, and Likeness regulations, exploring their impact on schools, athletes, and sports programs. From BYU's recruiting strategies to Title IX implications, the hosts offer insider perspectives on the evolvi...

Iowa's new "Flight Funds," a direct response to the NCAA House settlement, offer a transformative blueprint for Iowa State University to elevate its athletic programs, particularly football and basketball, while ingeniously navigating the Iowa Board of Regents' restrictions on university funds for athletics. The Regents' long-standing mandate prevents the diversion of academic and operational univ...

EA Sports College Football 25 is set to revolutionize how universities profit from their inclusion in video games, moving from a static tier-based payment system to one directly linked to in-game usage. This "pay-for-play" model means schools will receive royalties based on how frequently gamers select their teams, representing a significant opportunity for programs like Iowa State. Previously, Io...

The recent House v. NCAA settlement, while posing financial challenges, presents several potential benefits for Iowa State Athletics. Crucially, it ushers in an era of direct revenue sharing with student-athletes, allowing institutions to pay players directly. For Iowa State, this means a more formalized and competitive approach to athlete compensation, potentially attracting and retaining top tal...

In the highly anticipated Week 0 matchup between Kansas State and Iowa State in Dublin, Ireland, the performance of each team's running backs will be absolutely critical. Both head coaches, Chris Klieman for Kansas State and Matt Campbell for Iowa State, understand the importance of establishing a strong ground game to control the clock and set up their offensive schemes. For Kansas State, the foc...

Big 12 football shakeup: Conference merger talks heat up as Brett Yormark takes on the SEC. Is a new Power 3 on the horizon? Drake and the squad break down the potential Big 12-ACC merger, analyzing its impact on college football's landscape. The conversation shifts to Commissioner Yormark's bold stance against SEC dominance and the ongoing Jake Retzlaff situation at BYU. Jake Hatch from Locked on...

The landscape of college athletics is constantly shifting, with the Big Ten and SEC often perceived as the dominant forces shaping its future, especially regarding the College Football Playoff. However, for the Iowa State Cyclones and the entire Big 12 conference, this narrative shouldn't be a source of anxiety. Instead, it underscores their critical need to maintain and assert their autonomy in t...

Iowa State faces a considerable challenge if the College Football Playoff transitions to a purely at-large seeding model, abandoning automatic qualifiers for conference champions. The current 12-team playoff offers a lifeline through guaranteed spots for top conference winners, but a fully at-large 16-team format, as some influential figures advocate, would fundamentally alter Iowa State's playoff...