Iowa State Professional Athletes

Iowa State didn't just have alumni in the NFL on Sunday — it had a reunion. Five Cyclones made meaningful contributions in Week 1, with two of them delivering the kind of performances that stop a highlight reel cold.

Montgomery Makes History in Houston Debut

David Montgomery wasted no time announcing himself as a Texan. The former Lion tied an NFL record with three touchdowns in his team debut — two rushing, one receiving — as Houston built a 28-27 lead over the Buffalo Bills late in the game. Montgomery finished with 60 rushing yards and 19 receiving yards on three catches in a game that ultimately slipped away, with the Bills winning 36-31. But the performance itself was historic, and Montgomery was already looking ahead. "We haven't scratched the surface," he said of the Texans' ground attack — a statement that should worry opposing defenses for the next 16 weeks.

The loss came with added noise: Montgomery is among the players potentially facing league discipline following the game.

Hall Leads Jets to Season-Opening Win

Across the league, Breece Hall was doing what he does. The Jets back rushed for 102 yards and a touchdown — including a second-half score that pushed New York's lead to 17-7 — as the Jets handled Tennessee 23-10. Hall also chipped in 16 yards on two receptions, proving again that he's a genuine dual-threat weapon. It was a clean, efficient, dominant performance, and fantasy managers and Jets fans alike are paying close attention: the buzz around Hall heading into Week 2 is loud.

Hall wasn't the only Cyclone making the Jets better, either. Defensive end Will McDonald IV recorded a sack in the win, and his showing was sharp enough that Sports Illustrated called extending him a Week 2 priority for GM Darren Mougey. When a player generates contract urgency after one game, that's a statement.

The Houston Pipeline

Montgomery wasn't the only Iowa State product suiting up for the Texans. Wide receivers Xavier Hutchinson and Jaylin Noel both contributed in the loss to Buffalo. Noel was the more explosive of the two, hauling in two catches for 53 yards. Hutchinson added three receptions for 32 yards. Neither stat line will make national headlines, but having three former Cyclones on the same NFL roster — all active, all contributing — underscores how thoroughly Iowa State has embedded itself in the league's talent pipeline.

The Bigger Picture

Five Iowa State alumni played meaningful snaps on the same Sunday in NFL Week 1. Two of them turned in historically notable or statistically elite performances. Montgomery tied a record in his debut. Hall cleared 100 yards. McDonald forced a contract conversation after a single game. This isn't a fluke — it's a program whose NFL footprint keeps expanding.

The Cyclones don't make noise on Saturdays anymore. Sundays are theirs now, too.

Iowa State's NFL alumni entered the 2026 season on wildly divergent trajectories — one chasing a Super Bowl, one watching it from a training room, and one quietly reshaping his professional future.

Brock Purdy: The Argument Is Over

Through every "Mr. Irrelevant" punchline and every skeptic waiting for the regression that never came, Brock Purdy has arrived at 2026 as an unambiguous franchise quarterback. The 49ers retooled aggressively this offseason, adding receiver Mike Evans and bringing back Deebo Samuel, and Purdy has made no effort to hide his enthusiasm. He's been vocal about his excitement playing alongside Evans, calling the pairing a natural fit for San Francisco's system.

The external praise is stacking up just as fast. Purdy's efficiency numbers — completion rate, yards per attempt, touchdown-to-interception ratio — track the profile that made Drew Brees a Hall of Famer, and analysts at The Sporting News have drawn that comparison with increasing conviction heading into this season. If a retooled defense can hold its end, Purdy may finally have the full-roster support to go with the stats.

He's also not shy about the competition. Purdy called the NFC West the toughest division in football, with the 49ers opening on the road against the Rams in Melbourne. For an Iowa State kid who slipped to pick 262, it's a long way from Ames — and he's earned every inch of it.

Jayden Higgins: Season Done Before It Started

The Texans' receiving corps absorbed a brutal blow when Jayden Higgins tore his ACL during an 11-on-11 drill in a joint practice against the Las Vegas Raiders. NFL Network's Ian Rapoport confirmed the injury, and that was it — Higgins' 2026 season ended before a regular-season snap was played.

A second-year receiver who had been building toward a meaningful role in Houston's offense, Higgins now faces the long road of ACL recovery. The Texans lose a developing weapon, and another Iowa State product loses what should have been a critical developmental season.

Jaylin Noel: Making Moves in Houston

While Higgins absorbed the worst news of the preseason, fellow Cyclone and Texans wideout Jaylin Noel was generating headlines of his own — this time for a deliberate career decision off the field. Noel, regarded as an X-factor in Houston's receiving mix heading into 2026, shared significant career news that signals he's thinking about his professional footprint beyond the white lines. The details point to an athlete taking an active role in shaping his future while also pushing for a larger role in the Texans' offense.

With Higgins now out, Noel's opportunity on the field just expanded considerably.

The Preseason Undercard

Elsewhere among former Cyclones, the Week 3 preseason slate offered scattered contributions. Offensive tackle Julian Good-Jones logged 20 offensive snaps for the Commanders in a lopsided 41-3 loss to the Ravens. Over in New York, Breece Hall continues to anchor the Jets' backfield — a team whose hopes, per beat reporters, hinge significantly on Hall and Garrett Wilson making superstar-level leaps in 2026.

The range of storylines across Iowa State's NFL contingent this week is as wide as it gets: a franchise QB making a title case, a promising receiver staring down months of rehab, and a pair of Jets trying to drag a franchise back to relevance. Cyclone Nation has no shortage of rooting interests heading into Week 1.

It was a week of extremes for Iowa State alumni across the NFL — one Cyclone got devastating news, another got a clean bill of health, and a third got his walking papers.

Jayden Higgins: Season Over Before It Started

The biggest gut punch came out of Houston. Second-year Texans wide receiver Jayden Higgins suffered a season-ending torn ACL, a crushing blow for a player widely expected to break out in 2026. The Texans moved quickly to patch the hole, trading for Patriots receiver Kayshon Boutte and also adding veterans Zay Jones and Sterling Shepard — a flurry of moves that underscores just how significant Higgins' absence is to Houston's passing game. For Higgins, it's a lost year at the worst possible time for his development.

Breece Hall: Don't Panic, Jets Fans

Meanwhile, in New York, a potential scare turned out to be nothing serious. Jets running back Breece Hall missed roughly a week of preseason practice with a groin injury, but head coach Aaron Glenn personally calmed the waters Monday, confirming Hall is on track to be ready for Week 1. Glenn offered similarly positive updates on other Jets players dealing with bumps, suggesting the organization is managing Hall's workload with the regular season firmly in view. For a Jets offense that runs through its former Iowa State star, that's exactly what the fanbase needed to hear.

Hakeem Butler: Cut Loose in Denver

Butler's preseason run with the Broncos came to an abrupt end. Denver waived the wide receiver as part of a roster move to sign outside linebacker Ron Stone Jr., ending Butler's bid to stick with the club. Butler had played 23 offensive snaps and nine special teams snaps in a Week 2 preseason loss to Green Bay — not enough to make the case for a roster spot. He'll now look to catch on elsewhere as teams finalize their 53-man rosters.

Around the Rest of the Cyclone Alumni Network

Beyond the three headliners, other ISU alumni had quieter but notable preseason moments. Raiders cornerback Darien Porter is drawing attention in Las Vegas, where the coaching staff is reportedly experimenting with ways to get him and fellow young corner Hezekiah Masses on the field simultaneously at nickel — a sign the organization sees real potential in the former Cyclone. In Washington, offensive tackle Julian Good-Jones surfaced in the Commanders' preseason Week 2 notes, with the team logging observations on his play as roster decisions loom. Brock Purdy, meanwhile, continues to be the subject of national QB tier debates — labeled "supporting cast dependent" in one recent ranking — as the 49ers head toward the regular season.

It was, in short, the kind of week that reminds Cyclone fans how quickly NFL fortunes can shift. Higgins goes from breakout candidate to IR; Hall goes from injury concern to full green light. That's the preseason in a nutshell — and Iowa State had front-row seats to all of it.