AMES, Iowa – Iowa State seniors Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel and Darien Porter have officially accepted invitations to the Reese’s Senior Bowl, which will be held Feb. 1, 2025, in Mobile, Alabama. The game will be televised on NFL Network at 1:30 p.m. (CT).

Played annually since 1950, the Reese’s Senior Bowl is one of the nation’s best collegiate all-star games. This marks the second time in school history that ISU has had three players invited to the game (2021).

Higgins and Noel formed the nation’s best wide receiver duo this season, combining to make 159 receptions for 2,260 yards and 16 touchdowns. They are the only duo with both players eclipsing 1,000 receiving yards.

Higgins, a South Miami, Florida native, has 87 receptions for 1,183 yards and nine touchdowns, all of which rank second in single-season school history. Higgins was an All-Big 12 Second-Team selection and earned Associated Press Third-Team All-America accolades.

Noel, a Kansas City, Missouri native, finished with 72 receptions for 1,077 yards and seven touchdowns. Noel was Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Year and the senior owns a streak of 45-straight games with a reception, the third-longest active streak nationally.

Porter is a true success story, switching from wide receiver to defensive back before his fourth season at Iowa State. The move paid off as Porter elevated himself to a starter this season and had three interceptions. In his career, the Bettendorf, Iowa native also excelled on special teams, blocking five kicks in his career (four punts, one field goal).

Iowa State Senior Bowl Invitees
1955- Max Burkett
1962- Dave Hoppmann
1962- Chuck Walton
1963- Dave Hoover
1964- John Van Sicklen
1966- Eppie Barney
1968- Tom Busch
1972- Dean Carlson
1973- Merv Krakau
1974- Matt Blair
1975- Tom Goedjen
1977- Luther Blue
1979- Mike Stensrud (DNP)
1981- Kenny Neil
1983- Bruce Reimers
1986- Dennis Gibson
1991- Blaise Bryant
2000- Sage Rosenfels
2001- Ennis Haywood
2002- Seneca Wallace
2003- Jordan Carstens
2007- Ahtyba Rubin
2011- Leonard Johnson
2011- Kelechi Osemele
2013- Kirby Van Der Kamp
2014- E.J. Bibbs (DNP)
2017- Allen Lazard

2019 – Steve Wirtel

2021 – Charlie Kolar, Andrew Mevis, Mike Rose (DNP)

2022 – Xavier Hutchinson, Will McDonald IV (DNP)
2023 – TJ Tampa (DNP)
2024 – Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel, Darien Porter

(Radio Iowa Sports) – It has been a record breaking year for the Iowa State football program as the Cyclones get ready to play Miami in the Pop Tarts Bowl in Orlando. The Cyclones recorded their first ever 8-0 start and become the first Cyclone team to win 10 games before falling to Arizona State in the Big 12 championship game. They can claim an 11th win with a victory over the Hurricanes.

That’s Iowa State coach Matt Campbell. The Cyclones rebounded from back-to-back losses to Texas Tech and Kansas to grab a share of the Big 12 regular season title.

Quarterback Rocco Becht says the Cyclones are motivated to end the season with a win.

The Iowa Hawkeye women’s basketball team stayed in the limelight by getting to the NCAA title game for the second straight year. The Hawks lost to top ranked South Carolina 87-75. It was the final game for Iowa superstar Caitlin Clark who was a two-time national player of the year.

Clark would go on to be the first pick of the WNBA Draft by the Indiana Fever and was named the league’s Rookie of the Year.

Five weeks after the title game long-time coach Lisa Bluder retired after 24-years at the helm.

Veteran assistant Jan Jensen took over and despite key losses from last season the Hawkeyes are 10-2 and ranked 24th in the AP Poll heading into the Christmas break.

It has been another banner year for Iowa State men’s basketball. The Cyclones won the Big 12 Tournament crown and played in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament for the second time in three years under coach T.J. Otzelberger. The run ended with a 72-69 loss to Illinois.

The Cyclones closed the season with a record of 29-8.

ISU enters the Christmas break at 10-1 and ranked third in the AP Poll. There was a changing of the guard at Northern Iowa where football coach Mark Farley announced his retirement. The former Panther player and assistant coach spent 24 years leading the program.

Farley said changes like N-I-L and the transfer portal made the job more taxing. UNI finished this season with a record of 3-9.

After six years as the head coach at Drake, Todd Stepsis was named the new Panther coach.

Next Monday’s Music City Bowl against Missouri won’t be the final game in a Hawkeye uniform for defensive end Ethan Hurkett. The native of Cedar Rapids will return for a final season. Hurkett leads the Hawkeyes with 11 and-a-half tackles for loss and six and-a-half sacks.

Hurkett had to choose between returning for a final season or entering the NFL Draft.

Hurkett says the decision was made after consulting with Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz.

The Hawkeyes take an 8-4 record into the December 30th game in Nashville.

Iowa State defensive coordinator Jon Heacock says the final challenge for the Cyclone defense may be the toughest of them all. The 18th ranked Cyclones take on 13th ranked Miami in Saturday’s Pop Tarts Bowl and will look to slow down a Miami offense that is averaging 44 points per game.

Heacock says preparation is the key in getting ready to face the Miami offense.

Miami quarterback Cam Ward has passed for more than 41 hundred yards and 36 touchdowns.

Heacock says Ward’s mobility makes him even tougher to slow down.

ADM TOURNAMENT

1. Raccoon River-Northwest – 245.5

2. Carlisle – 139.0

3. Riverside – 131.0

10. Atlantic – 20.0

Atlantic Champion: Haley Armstrong (235)

Riverside Champion: Molly Allen (125)

PRIDE OF IOWA TOURNAMENT

1. SWAT – 186.5

2. Martensdale-St. Marys – 98

3. Central Decatur – 71

4. East Union – 62.5

5. Mount Ayr – 60.0

6. Southwest Valley – 54

SWAT Champions: Jazz Christensen (100), Nadia South (110), Destiny Fry (115), Lilliana Tafoya (135), Bailey Lillard (145), Lilly Barber (155), Stella Beattie (170), Ellen Gerlock (190), Megan Gerlock (235)

Southwest Valley Champions: Kacy LaMasters (125)

SHENANDOAH TOURNAMENT

1.  Hinton – 213.0

2. Clarinda – 164.5

3. Logan-Magnolia/Woodbine – 133.0

5. Treynor – 98.0

8. Glenwood – 63.0

9. Lewis Central – 61.5

10. Harlan – 54.5

Clarinda Champions: Kambry Gordon (110), Maddie McCoy (115), Kylar Downey (135), Lily Weinreich (140)

Logan-Magnolia/Woodbine Champions: Alicia Hernandez (100), Nancy Bowman (170), Mary Bowman (190)

Harlan Champion: Ellexis Stephens (135)

Lewis Central also competed at the Ladycat Classic and finished second with three champions: Avaeh Smith (120), Emerson Gregg (125), Mahri Manz (145)

JIM KENYON NORSEMAN INVITATIONAL

1. Sergeant Bluff-Luton – 230.0

2. Winterset – 226.0

Atlantic – 173.0

4. Anamosa – 172.0

5. Hampton-Dumont-CAL – 153.5

7. Earlham – 125.0

9. Woodward-Granger – 97.5

Atlantic Champions: Aidan Smith (138)

Atlantic 2nd Place Finishes: Keaton Schroeder (106), Collin Harris (113)

Sergeant Bluff-Luton Champions: Ben Walsh (144), Ayden McRoberts (150), Bo Koedam (165), Zayvion Ellington (175) 

WIC CONFERENCE TOURNAMENT

1. Riverside – 243.5

2. Logan-Magnolia – 222

3. Underwood – 221

4. Missouri Valley – 125

5. Tri-Center – 109.5

6. AHSTW – 99.5

7. Audubon – 85.5

8. Treynor -82

Riverside Champions: Davis Bramman (126), Drew Anderson (132), Jaxon Gordon (150), Jett Rose (165)

AHSTW Champions: Kayden Baxter (175), Henry Lund (285)

Tri-Center Champions: Brant Freeberg (138)

GLENWOOD TOURNAMENT

1. Hinton – 288.0

2. Elkhorn North – 191.5

3. Glenwood – 165.5

4. ADM – 162

5. Harlan – 128.5

6. Maryville – 112.5

7. St. Albert – 66.5

9. Clarinda – 57.5

Glenwood Champions: Mason Koehler (215), Drake Buthe (285) 

Harlan Champions: Spencer Fink (120), Jesse Jens (126) 

CARROLL INVITATIONAL

1. Westwood – 171.5

2. Carroll – 162.5

3. Storm Lake – 138.0

6. ACGC – 105.0

7. Kuemper Catholic – 84.0

8. Denison-Schleswig – 70.5

ACGC Champions: Gavin Sloss (132), Ty Ganzer (138),

Denison-Schleswig Top Finisher: Izak Argotsinger (3rd Place in 190)

Kuemper Catholic Top Finishers: Caleb Hoffman (2nd place in 126), Coby Pierce (2nd place in 132)

SABER INVITATIONAL

1. Wilton – 257.5

2. Central DeWitt – 163.5

3. West Liberty – 162.0

5. Creston – 112.5

Creston Top Finishers: Gunnar Martwick (2nd Place in 215), Ben James (3rd place in 113), Lane Travis (3rd Place in 132)

DON MILLER INVITE

1. Humboldt – 217.5

2. Algona – 204.5

3. Decorah – 170.5

6. Lewis Central – 165.5

Lewis Central Champions: Zander Manz (113), Carter Schorsch (132), Joseph Monge (215)

GIRLS

Hawkeye Ten Conference 

St. Albert – 62 vs Kuemper Catholic – 34

Non-Conference 

Green City – 54 vs Creston – 31

Bellevue East – 56 vs Lewis Central – 46

Plattsmouth – 67 vs Glenwood – 55

Lourdes Central Catholic – 48 vs East Mills – 25

Bishop Heelan Catholic – 61 vs Dallas Center-Grimes – 56

BOYS

Non-Conference 

Green City – 54 vs Creston – 46

Bellevue East – 70 vs Lewis Central – 55

Plattsmouth – 62 vs Glenwood – 50

Lourdes Central Catholic – 42 vs East Mills – 37

Sergeant Bluff-Luton – 64 vs Elk Point-Jefferson – 29

Dakota Valley – 65 vs Bishop Heelan Catholic – 53

The third ranked Iowa State men shot 61 percent and beat Morgan State 99-72 in Ames.. The Cyclones finish non-conference play with a record of 10-1.

That’s ISU coach T.J. Otzelberger who feels the non league slate prepared them for the start of Big 12 play.

Otzelberger likes where the Cyclones are as they take a Christmas break. Big 12 play begins a week from today (Monday) at Colorado.

Tamin Lipsey led six Cyclones in double figures with 20 points against Morgan State. Curtis Jones added 19 points and as a team the Cyclones registered 26 assists.

Two new quarterbacks appeared at practice over the weekend as the Iowa football team resumed preparations for the December 30th Music City Bowl against Missouri. That includes Transfer portal addition Hank Brown, who spent the last two years at Auburn.

That’s Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz who says high school signee Jimmy Sullivan is also on the practice field after graduating high school early. Ferentz says the addition of Brown provides added depth at a position that needs it.