​FRISCO, Texas — Midway through spring football, the battle for who will lead from under center was intensifying. Iowa State head coach Jimmy Rogers called it a “pretty solid match” between Arkansas State transfer Jaylen Raynor and Oklahoma State transfer Zane Flores. Although Raynor appeared to be taking first-team reps during the Cyclones’ April 25 spring showcase, there had already been a great deal of rotation and evaluation throughout the spring period.
“He initially started spring ball a little slower than what I imagined,” Rogers remarked at Big 12 Football Media Days on Wednesday, July 8. “But, his progression day in and day out, I think he’s having his best weeks going into the summer.”
Now, several months later, the quarterback picture is much clearer. “Yeah, Jaylen Raynor, we brought him here for a reason,” Rogers said. “Obviously, we have high hopes for him. At the end of the day, there’s still fall camp to be played. He’s got to produce inside of fall camp. We’re going to play the best players, but Jaylen is going into camp as the one and he’s got to continue to hold his position, and those are all things that I said in the recruiting process.”
Raynor quickly endeared himself to his new teammates by memorizing their names at a remarkable pace. Running back Aiden Flora noted that Raynor became one of the best leaders on the team almost immediately. “Very well-spoken. If you ever talk to Jaylen, you’ll always have a smile on your face. He’s a great guy, a great leader and a very smart kid, and that’s the type of leader you want for your team,” Flora said.
Last season, Raynor set an Arkansas State record by completing 333 of 501 passes (66.5 percent) for 3,361 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He also rushed for 423 yards and seven touchdowns on 154 carries. Over his three seasons with the Red Wolves, he posted a 20-16 record as a starter and owns a career completion rate of 62.9 percent for 8,694 yards, 52 touchdowns and 28 interceptions. He also has 1,183 rushing yards and 15 rushing touchdowns on 414 carries. The plan is for him to take the next step at the Big 12 level after competing primarily in the Sun Belt.
To help realize that transition, Raynor has been putting in extra work outside of practices to deepen chemistry with his teammates on offense. “We get together every weekend just to get extra throws,” Raynor said. “We get extra snaps with the centers, and we live for those moments to build better rhythm and timing.”