The Jimmy Rogers era at Iowa State got some unwelcomed news on Monday, when star safety transfer Braden Awls sustained a torn ACL that will keep him out for the entire 2026 college football season. Rogers made the announcement during a press conference on Monday, saying, “Kind of been a routine hit, blocking situation, his leg got planted… and that one sucks.”
Awls is a senior who had a standout career at Toledo, racking up 131 total tackles during his three seasons. He also had nine interceptions and 10 passes defended over his two seasons with the Rockets.
He was expected to be one of the top players on the Cyclones next season, bringing tenacity and experience (24 starts) to an Iowa State team in desperate need of it. The First Team All-MAC selection finished seventh nationally and led all MAC players with five interceptions last season.
Awls played his high school ball at Central Catholic in Ohio and was a three-star prospect according to 247Sports while playing for Greg Dempsey. He earned all-conference and all-district honors as a junior and senior and was a two-time first-team All-Blade. He led Central Catholic to state championship in 2022.
As a result, Iowa State’s 2026 Big 12 championship hopes just took another blow. Fans using online sports betting, like FanDuel Sportsbook, can find the Cyclones with the second-worst odds to win the conference, ahead of only the Colorado Buffaloes.
Iowa State has become known for its stingy pass defense under former defensive coordinator Jon Heacock, who retired following Matt Campbell’s departure for Penn State. The Cyclones open up the 2026 season on Saturday, September 5th against Southeast Missouri State.
