Iowa State Football Chasing Arizona for Class of 2028 Edge

As long as Jimmy Rogers is the head coach of the Iowa State Cyclones, their strategy for building sustained success will come in the trenches.

He has made it clear that he believes the best way to win is to dominate along the offensive and defensive lines. How he has gone about building the roster for 2026 and beyond certainly hammers home that point.

Rogers brought in a ton of talent along both lines and isn’t stopping when it comes to the future. With offers starting to be made to players in the Class of 2028, they have recently given a scholarship to an Edge defender also being pursued by the Arizona Wildcats.

Three-star Sione Taueli recently received an offer from the Cyclones. That is offer No. 4 for the Mesa High School product, who has also been offered by the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks and Rogers’s former team, the Washington State Cougars.

Iowa State makes offer to Sione Taueli

Right now, the Wildcats are considered the favorites to secure a commitment from him. Rivals Predictions gives them a 39.0% chance of landing Taueli. Iowa State isn’t too far behind at 34.1%.

Northern Arizona is third with 14.6%, and Washington State is fourth at 12.2%. There is some ground for the Cyclones to make up in the race to sell Taueli on coming to Ames.

With an 88 rating from Rivals and 247Sports, he is a sought-after player. The Rivals Industry Ranking has him at No. 370 nationally, coming in at No. 43 amongst players at his position and No. 8 in the state of Arizona.

Adding a player of that caliber to the Class of 2028 would certainly be a boon for Iowa State. They don’t currently have anyone committed that far down the road, but are making inroads with a few prospects.

The Cyclones are considered the favorites to land a commitment from Jayden McKinney, a four-star defensive lineman drawing considerable interest from Big Ten schools, including the defending champion Indiana Hoosiers.

Defensive lineman Hendrix Dawson was impressed when he made his visit to Ames, and his opinion of the school and program changed drastically afterward. He saw how cohesive the new coaching staff was at practice and was in awe of Jack Trice Stadium.

The same effect could certainly be had on Taueli whenever they can get him onto campus for a visit. He has yet to take any visits, whether official or unofficial, so that first impression once he does will be important.