Noel and Freyler received “overwhelmingly probably the most votes two young men have ever had in the voting,” says coach Matt Campbell
Iowa State defensive back Beau Freyler (17) defends during a game against Baylor last season in Waco, Texas. (Associated Press/Brandon Wade)
AMES — They’re both two-time captains. They’re both top performers at the Big 12 level.
And now Iowa State safety Beau Freyler and wide receiver Jaylin Noel can finally look forward to being side by side on the field – and not just being wedged against each other in practice.
“We’re ready to go,” Noel said of the Cyclones’ season opener against North Dakota at 2:30 p.m. (FS1) Saturday at Jack Trice Stadium. “It couldn’t come fast enough. It felt like it took forever, but now we’re here.”
At least almost.
Defensive lineman JR Singleton, along with Noel and Freyler, will form ISU’s permanent captain trio this season. The Cyclones players voted on the selection – and another player will be selected from a “group” as the fourth captain at the end of the week.
“I think the vote to have back-to-back captains with Beau and Jaylin — and I would say overwhelmingly, probably the most votes that two young guys have received in the voting,” said Matt Campbell, ISU’s head coach for nine years and whose team is looking to win its fourth straight season opener. “I think it (also) says a lot about JR Singleton and his growth in our program. He’s our spiritual leader (and) his consistency to grow through difficult things that have come his way has been really impressive.”
This toughness-based quality permeates each of the Cyclones’ three captains. Freyler and Noel test each other at every practice, and the tougher the competition gets, the stronger their bond as leaders becomes.
“(The receivers) push me and others to get better, so I have nothing but respect for them,” said Freyler, who led ISU by a wide margin with 107 tackles last season. “It’s fun and exciting that we can’t play against them on Saturday and just cheer them on instead of competing every day, for sure.”
The Cyclones’ receivers could give Freyler and his defensive teammates plenty to cheer about on Saturday. The Fighting Hawks, ranked 24th in the FCS, have three starting linebackers back but lack experience on the defensive line and in the secondary. ISU has a strong 1-2 punch at receiver level in Noel and Jayden Higgins, but the Cyclones also have plenty of pass catchers – despite the loss of senior Daniel Jackson to a lower leg injury in fall training camp.
Iowa State receiver Jaylin Noel (13) runs after a catch during a game against Oklahoma State at Jack Trice Stadium in Ames last season. (Nick Rohlman/The Gazette)
“I think it’s going to be a surprise every week for us as a receiver group,” said Higgins, who had 983 receiving yards and six touchdowns last season. “I think we can all go out there and make plays.”
ISU’s defensive backfield shares that sentiment. Cornerbacks Darien Porter, Myles Purchase and Jontez Williams will all see plenty of action, and the powerful safety trio of Freyler, Jeremiah Cooper and Malik Verdon are fully healthy for the first time since last season’s opener.
Cooper caught five interceptions last season, Freyler three and Verdon two, despite missing the last four games due to injury.
“I think we all did a great job during the offseason and put in a lot of work,” Freyler said. “So I’m definitely confident about whoever steps on the field.”
Campbell said earlier this summer that Freyler – a first-team Academic All-American – serves as an “anchor” for the Cyclones’ defense and embodies “a fighting spirit.” But how does his defensive coordinator, Jon Heacock, describe him?
“He loves the tough stuff,” Heacock said. “The tougher it gets, the better Beau plays. When it gets really tough, Beau gives it his best and that’s a ‘warrior spirit.'”
ISU fans will obviously hope there aren’t too many difficult things to overcome on Saturday, as they are 27.5-point favorites. But Freyler, Noel and Singleton are ready to help their teammates weather the storms that will inevitably arise during the regular season – and possibly beyond.
After all, that is the job of captains.
“The guys pushed each other,” said Noel, who led the Cyclones with seven touchdown catches last season. “I think that was the most important thing for our growth this season. We know what we’re capable of.”
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