Randy Peterson's Iowa State football fall camp thoughts: Breece Hall is a future star and more Cyclones' observations

• Is freshman Breece Hall the next big thing at RB?
• Joseph Scates may be the answer for Butler's void
• Ray Lima needs more national respect

AMES, Ia. — My final thoughts after interviewing coaches and players since Year 4 of Matt Campbell and Iowa State football began three weeks ago are that the defense will be outstanding, Brock Purdy has tweaked his emerging game and that nose guard Ray Lima is about to become a known name in the sport.

Throughout all those positives, though, has been this cloud of suspense:

Who replaces David Montgomery and Hakeem Butler?

It’s a good conversation — a very good conversation, considering there’s not been a clear-cut answer at either position.

Who takes over for the two-time 1,000-yard rusher Montgomery? Who’s making the highlight-reel, acrobatic catches that were second nature for Butler? They’re questions that probably won’t be answered for a while.

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Veterans start at the other positions. That’s the reason for the most anticipated season in Iowa State football history.

"We go into the season not only knowing who the guys are, but also know what they're capable of becoming," Campbell said. "That right there might be the biggest change from when we first got here until now."

Here are other thoughts since practice started the first week of August:

Thought No. 1: First game, first rush

No one can duplicate all of what David Montgomery did last season. Johnnie Lang and Breece Hall have come the closest, when it comes to the all-around package of running, blocking and receiving.

The guess here is that it's time to give the sophomore Lang a crack at getting the first handoff Aug. 31 against Northern Iowa at Jack Trice Stadium. And the guess is that true freshman Hall gets substantial first-game run, too.

Both are capable, but given that Campbell has twice insinuated it's Lang — once at Big 12 Media Days and the other on Friday while speaking with reporters — I’m guessing Lang has the first-game edge.

Thought No. 2: The eventual starting running back

If Hall is as good as football-knowledgeable folks have said after watching scrimmages, then look for the true freshman to become go-to rusher at some point — and possibly before the Big 12 Conference opener at Baylor.

It’s the fourth game of the season. The 6-foot, 215-pounder will have had games against Northern Iowa, Iowa and Louisiana-Monroe to get accustomed to the speed of the game.

He’s got star ability, according to insiders. They say he’s a difference-maker.

Thought No. 3: Brock Purdy 2.0

I heard someone mention the cliché of "the sophomore jinx." Really?

Mike Warren wasn’t jinxed after rushing for 1,229 yards as a freshman. He was beaten out by Montgomery, who is now contending to be the Chicago Bears’ top running back.

Butler didn't have a sophomore jinx (almost 700 receiving yards). He found his way to the NFL.

Troy Davis rushed for 2,010 yards as a sophomore during a 1995 season in which he finished fifth in Heisman Trophy balloting.

Iowa State’s quarterback having a significant downturn after a 2018 freshman breakout that included going 4-2 against teams that finished with winning records?

Maybe, but on the chance it happens, it won’t be because he’s been jinxed. It's because well-paid defensive coaches managed to rattle him in a way they could not last season.

Thought No. 4: Practicing against the best

Whoever gets the first handoff will have practiced against the top defensive line in the Big 12.

“Those guys we’ve been going against in scrimmages — they’re doing nothing but making us better,” Sheldon Croney said. “If you can run against them, you should be able to do it against anyone.”

I can’t say enough good things about the defensive line, especially nose guard Ray Lima.

“If you don’t have that guy in the middle, it’s tough to run a defense,” line coach Eli Rasheed said. “Ray’s been outstanding.”

Thought No. 5: The culture has changed

It didn’t take Campbell’s program long to transition from what he inherited to the 2019 product that he’ll put on the field.

Veteran players who’ve been in the system for a while say there’s no more locker-room cliques. Everyone likes everyone. Character isn’t questioned.

“We’re more unified, as in spending time together,” senior defensive tackle Jamahl Johnson said. “Things are going better. Everybody knows the standard. If you don’t do it, then you stick out like a sore thumb.”

That’s been a welcomed change.

“Oh my gosh, when we first got here, we had people on the team that just did not care at all,” Johnson said. “People were doing stuff wrong, people were doing their own thing and people weren’t listening.”

Thought No. 6: Emergence of Joseph Scates

It doesn’t matter who’s talking about relatively unknown receivers potentially having impactful seasons. 

One name always comes up: Joseph Scates.

The redshirt freshman had a good camp. He was so re-focused and so good, we hear, that he could be a significant contributor.

“Joe’s got elite potential,” Campbell said. "Quite honestly, he’s as good as any receiver that we’ve had in this program, or any program that I’ve been around. He’s got that potential.”

He’s one of the two or three underclassmen I most want to watch. If he’s as good as they say — on and off the field — then his ceiling looks to be very high. He could be a foundational player at that position.

Thought No. 7: Respect what Lima does

It’s about time Lima gets some national love. The unsung (outside of Ames) key to the three-player defensive front’s success is the Big 12’s best nose guard, and Lima's among the best in the nation.

“Once Ray gets a hold on you, it’s tough to get away from him,” Croney said. “It’s like 'Man, get Ray away from me.'

“All our defensive linemen are good, but when I see Ray — it’s like, 'Oh, man.'”

Defensive end JaQuan Bailey gets the headlines. He’s one sack shy of breaking the school’s career record. That’s the statistic onto which everyone latches, because it’s black-and-white.

What Lima does is more under cover — the down-and-dirty trench stuff.

“Statistically, it’s not going to jump off the screen that Ray Lima’s this and this and this,” Campbell said. “But on fourth-and-1 or third-and-1 in the most critical moments in the biggest games we’ve played here, Ray Lima has been outstanding.”

Thought No. 8: Cyclones will be fine at outside linebacker

While fans wondered what Campbell and his staff would do after the graduation of Willie Harvey, a defensive end was itching to make the switch.

Another newcomer-like player I want to watch is Will McDonald, a former defensive end who’s converting to linebacker. At 6-4 and 230 pounds, he certainly looks the part. Word inside the practice gates is that he’s playing the part as well.

“Will McDonald is going to make us a better defense,” said Rasheed, his former defensive line position coach. “He’s got to be out there in some capacity. We all saw his athleticism.”

McDonald wasn’t good enough to beat out the starting defensive linemen, but he was too good to be nailed to the bench.

Thus, a position switch I’m anxious to watch.

Thought No. 9: Tight ends are ready for breakout season

The story goes that there wasn’t even a tight end on scholarship on the 2016 team that Campbell inherited, so if you’re curious about that position’s slow growth — that’s it.

Looking at the roster now. You’ll find veterans, including Charlie Kolar and Chase Allen — both of whom have NFL potential.

“We had to really rebuild that thing from the ground up,” tight ends coach Alex Golesh said. “We needed to go and get as many guys as we could that we felt could help us and fit our scheme.”

Both have been all-Big 12 selections. Both are in the 6-foot-7 by 250-pound range. Allen, now a junior, started nine games as a freshman in 2017. Kolar started a handful of games as a freshman last season.

“We’ve gone from being a weak link and trying to patch holes, to a really sufficient group of guys that can help this offense,” Golesh said.

Thought No. 10: Veteran offensive line must improve

Julian Good-Jones, Collin Olson, Colin Newell, Josh Knipfel and Bryce Meeker have a combined 107 starts. They played on a 2018 team that featured a 1,000-yard rusher. They also played on a team that was ranked 111th nationally in rushing yards per game.

“Over the past couple years, we’ve made our strides and gotten better,” said Knipfel, the best among the veteran linemen. “Now, we’re putting a lot more weight on our shoulders. We’ve all played in the Big 12. Now it’s time for no more excuses.

“In the past, we were able to have some excuses, because of people being young, so it’s like there’s no more excuses for us. We’re holding each other accountable. No more excuses. This is it.”

Randy Peterson is the Iowa State columnist for the Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, 515-284-8132, and on Twitter at @RandyPete. No one covers the Cyclones like the Register. Subscribe today at Des Moines Register.com/Deal to make sure you never miss a moment.

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