Carson Hansen

Hansen was a touchdown hawk in 2024 with 13 rushing scores, the most for a Cyclone since Breece Hall's 21 scores during the 2020 season. He also displayed some versatility with 13 catches for 88 yards and two more touchdowns through the air. This all occurred when Hansen wasn't even in control of the running back room for a decent chunk of the year, ceding plenty of snaps to Abu Sama. That will change in 2025, as he is anticipated to be Iowa State's top back ahead of Sama and Dylan Lee on the depth chart. With a solid starter under center in Rocco Becht, who understands how to utilize play-action and RPO schemes, Iowa State should easily have one of the more efficient run offenses in the Big 12 conference. The Cyclones also added a pair of big-name wide receivers in the transfer portal in Chase Sowell (East Carolina) and Xavier Townsend (UCF), which could help open running lanes for Hansen. Hansen's impact will be on full display early in the season as Iowa State opens with a monster game in Dublin, Ireland against Kansas State. Read Past Outlooks