National Cyning Day Recap: Offensive Line

Iowa State will be losing four starters on this year’s offensive line once the Camping World Bowl concludes. So what does this coaching staff do? Fill those four spots immediately with the 2020 class. This years offensive line commits have some size and nastiness to them. They should be fun to watch up front when their time comes.

Hayden Pauls- Offensive Tackle

Hayden Pauls was the top priority early in the recruiting process for offensive line. His versatility to be able to play both offensive tackle and guard made him a big get, as the Cyclones will be look to replace a guard and tackle spot next year, and a tackle spot the following year. Pauls had offers from Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas, Kansas State and other midwestern schools.

Opportunity will be there for Pauls next year. There really is only three positions locked down on the offensive line for sure next season with Trevor Downing and Collin Newell both back with starting experience and Joey Ramos looking to slide into left tackle.

Tyler Miller- Offensive Tackle

Tyler Miller is one of two in-state offensive lineman commits for Iowa State in this class. Miller is an absolutely mammoth human being, with a 6-fot-9 inch frame all but guaranteeing he’ll be a tackle. He held offers from Nebraska, Minnesota and Virginia.

Miller will be enrolling early to begin classes in the second semester for Iowa State. That not only helps him get acclimated to the playbook, but will give him an opportunity to battle for the right tackle spot, or left tackle if they want to move Joey Ramos to the other side. Miller already has the size to play, so it’s just a matter of being ready at this point.

Brady Petersen- Offensive Tackle

The second of our in-state offensive line commits, Brady Petersen will be making the short trip from Ankeny to Ames. Petersen only received an offer from Iowa State, but had interest from Michigan, Michigan State and Kansas State before shutting down his commitment early.

Petersen is one of the most interesting lineman commits we have. Recruits often earn the stars at camps, but with Petersen shutting down his recruitment early and cancelling many of his camps, he probably left a higher rating on the table. Given the other teams that showed interest in him before shutting it down, it’s fair to say that this may be a true diamond in the the rough for Matt Campbell.

Sam Rengert- Offensive Tackle

Last but not least, Sam Rengert is the last of the haul for the offensive lineman. The Ohio-native was heavily recruited by West Virginia before choosing Iowa State, and also held offers from Purdue and Rutgers.

Rengert is a bit of an unknown commodity to me. This feels like a stash and develop type of talent for a year or two and allow him to compete later on. He has great size that will translate well to the college game, but he needs to learn how to effectively use that size before he’ll be able to play.