Peterson: Yes, Iowa State football can prepare for the future during a successful present

AMES – Abu Sama rushed 110 yards on just eight carries. Jamison Patton intercepted a pass. Drew Surges recovered a fumble. That’s three true freshmen with headline-type plays, all on the same chilly night in Utah.

Yes, the Cyclones’ football future was in full view, as it will be again Saturday against seventh-ranked Texas.

A night that starts with seniors running into Jack Trice Stadium for the final time for the 7 p.m. game could end with a freshman making the game-defining play.

That’s how far this program has come in Campbell’s eighth season as the CEO – a program that includes as much game-changing potential among the underclassmen as recent Cyclone teams I can recall.

“I tell them that if we’re going to become a team we’ve got the ability to be, we’re going to need leadership for the ages,” Campbell said Tuesday.

Let’s update something we wrote very early during this football season – before the surprising chain of events that has Campbell’s program among five legitimate contenders to play the Big 12 championship game.

Last August I asked Campbell about the tricky balancing of trying to excel now in a Power 5 conference while also developing Iowa State football’s youth for the future.

More: "What a great challenge": Matt Campbell breaks down Iowa State football's game against Texas

That was before we knew just how many underclassmen, including freshmen, would be playing significant roles during a season after the 4-8 debacle of 2022.

That was before knowing so many first-year college players would play major roles during a season that is assured to include a bowl game.

“There’s this (collection) of youth and talent,” Campbell said at the program’s annual preseason Victory Day event at Jack Trice Stadium. “They’ve come with a purpose in trying to get on the football field.”

Here’s the breakdown of how many games the true freshmen have played heading into Saturday night:

10: Ben Brahmer, Carson Hansen, Jack Sadowsky

9: Abu Sama, Drew Surges

8. Jamison Patton

6: Kooper Ebel

4: Brendan Black, TaShawn James

3: Zaimir Hawk, J.J. Jean-Louis, J.J. Kohl, Samuel Same, Cam Smith

1: Beni Ngoyi

Anything more than four means a burned redshirt. How does that and the transfer portal play into Campbell’s thinking about playing true freshmen?

I knew the answer, but I had to hear it from him.

“To be honest with you, the best players play,” Campbell said. “That goes zero in my thinking who plays.

“The portal piece – if it’s not working out, then you should get in. We do everything in our power not to put people in there. We’ve had a really great success rate over the course of the past four to five years, as far as retention rate.”

More: Everything you need to know about Saturday's Iowa State football vs. Texas game in Ames

If more playing time is available elsewhere, the players can leave. Some do, some don’t. It happens everywhere. It's as much a fact of college sports life as receiving money for name, image and likeness.

“The decisions you make on playing time − that’s the greatest gift you can give to your team, and it’s still got to be earned,” Campbell said. “You have to put the players in position to earn the right to get on the football field. I’ve always been honest with our kids. I’d rather play you too late than too early.

“I’d rather be bluntly honest, and let them know exactly where they stand in the program – and try to help them if they’re not where they want to be.”

Iowa State’s big number of freshman contributors include three from a productive recruiting Class of 2023 who started at BYU. That’s just one fewer than the four seniors who started in the 45-13 victory. Campbell is proving that yes, it is possible to prepare for the future while doing oh so well in the present.

Sadowsky, a linebacker, has started all 10 games. Black, No. 1 right guard, has started five. Patton, a safety, has started once.

Fifteen true freshmen have played. Eight have burned their redshirts − offensive lineman Black, tight end Ben Brahmer, linebackers Kooper Ebel and Sadowsky, running backs Carson Hansen and Sama, and defensive backs Patton and Surges.

It's proof that high school players of today are often college ball-ready when fall camp opens. Proof also that the program’s future appears very promising.

“Until you get under the lights, you just don’t know what you have until you get out there to see it,” Campbell said during a spring interview. “The foundation – the roots of this group – are really special. It’s going to be fun to watch.”

Fun for the fans and fun for the seniors who will be honored before Saturday night’s huge game against the Longhorns.

“I’m sad to leave it, but I think the next couple years of this program, we’ll be one of the top contenders in the Big 12,” departing left guard Jarrod Hufford said. “Especially with this freshman class – they’re going to lead this program to championships.”

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football has relied heavily on true freshmen this season