No. 4 – Brock Purdy and Breece Hall, Iowa State
The second-best passing offense in the Big 12 last season was Iowa State. Quarterback Brock Purdy nearly had 4,000 yards last season, leading the conference. Where the Cyclones struggled was in the running game, only having 133 yards per game. Sophomore running back Breece Hall should fix that problem in 2020.
Hall did not become the full-time ball carrier for Iowa State until the West Virginia game. Once he did, the freshman had over 100 yards in four of the eight games, including 101 against Texas. Now taking over as the full time back this season, Iowa State’s running game should be middle of the pack.
Part of the reason the Cyclones had such poor rushing numbers was due to quarterback Brock Purdy’s ability. The now junior from Arizona improved greatly in year two, making him a top quarterback in the conference. His completion percentage was second in the Big 12, while he topped the conference in pass attempts, completions, and yards.
If Iowa State is going to compete this season, Purdy is once again going to have to put up incredible numbers. What could make the Cyclones a legit threat is Hall and the run game. Head coach Matt Campbell is seen as one of the best in the conference and he must take advantage of the talent in the offense.