Iowa State just lost the heart of its defense. Linebacker Caleb Bacon is officially in the transfer portal, and that’s a massive blow for the Cyclones heading into 2025. He’s got one year of eligibility left, and it looks like he’s taking it somewhere else.
This one hurts. Bacon was the guy on that defense. Smart, physical, and always in the right spot. You could count on him to be around the ball every snap, and he brought the kind of toughness that’s become the identity of Iowa State’s defense. With Jon Heacock now retired and Jesse Bobbit stepping into the coordinator role, this was already going to be a transitional offseason. Now you add losing your top defensive player to the mix, and the picture just got a little more complicated.
Bacon wasn’t some five-star name that got headlines, but if you watched Iowa State on Saturdays, you knew who he was. During his career in Ames, Bacon posted 131 total tackles, six sacks, and two forced fumbles.
There’s no sugarcoating it. Iowa State needed him back. You can’t just go out and find another guy with that much experience and that kind of motor. You might find someone in the portal to fill the role on paper, but you’re not replacing Bacon’s voice in the huddle or the trust he earned with that staff.
For Iowa State, it’s another hit in what’s becoming a pretty busy offseason. First, the coaching change. Now this. Bobbit has work to do, and he’s going to need to hit the portal hard to patch this up. There’s still a good core in Ames, but there’s no doubt that this one is going to leave a mark.
Caleb Bacon is on the move. And Iowa State just got a whole lot quieter in the middle of its defense.
