Campbell's Spring Standouts

AMES, Iowa – The 2018 Spring Football season is winding down and Iowa State head football coach Matt Campbell has been pleased with his team's efforts.

Campbell noted the following players/units who have stood out and had outstanding practices in the spring.

Sheldon Croney Jr., RB, 5-11, 201, Jr.#, Bakersfield, Calif.
Croney Jr. was a huge lift for the Cyclones coming down the stretch in 2017. The seldom-used back became David Montgomery's backup in the latter half of the season, performing admirably. Croney Jr. was second on the team in rushing (159) and led the team in rushing vs. Kansas State with a career-high 63 yards. He has continued to make more strides this spring.

Greg Eisworth, DB, 6-0, 195, So.#, Grand Prairie, Texas.
Eisworth may be the new kid on the block, but he's not lacking in experience. Eisworth has had an outstanding spring and has a chance to lock up one of the starting safety spots. Eisworth was a four-star recruit who originally signed with Mississippi out of high school. After sitting out as a redshirt, he transferred to Trinity Valley C.C., where he became a member of the ESPN JC50 (#47) as one of the top junior college players nationally. Having Eisworth get a head start on his Cyclone career this spring is huge. Look for the JC newcomer to fit right in at safety.

O'Rien Vance, LB, 6-1, 235, Fr.#, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Spring practice following a freshman's first year on campus is a critical period according to Campbell. Nobody has benefitted more from their first spring practice than O'Rien Vance. Vance has made steady progress this spring as a player who could step into the Mike linebacker spot. With the graduation of All-American Joel Lanning, there is a huge hole to fill, and Vance has made the coaching staff feel much better. His high school accolades were impressive: two-time First-Team Elite Des Moines Register pick and the No. 3-ranked player in Iowa (Rivals) in the class of 2017. Vance battled injuries in his redshirt season and now is getting the opportunity to showcase his skills.

Defensive Line: Ray Lima, JaQuan Bailey, Jamahl Johnson, Enyi Uwazurike
Without a doubt, Iowa State's amazing turnaround on defense in 2017 was accomplished because of the superb play from its defensive front. Ray Lima (DL) and JaQuan Bailey (DE) were both All-Big 12 recipients in 2017 and are still trending upward. Jamahl Johnson (DL) and Enyi Uwazurike (DE) were key reserves in 2017 and have made their case for increased playing time in 2018 with their play this spring.

Offensive Line: Bryce Meeker, Josh Knipfel, Julian Good-Jones, Colin Newell
On the first day of spring practice, Campbell challenged his offensive line to improve. He has liked what he's seen so far. Bryce Meeker (T), Josh Knipfel (G) and Julian Good-Jones (C) were starters last year as underclassmen and already proving to be leaders among this group. Newell, a local product from Ames, redshirted last year and has made his case as a possible starter in 2018.

Players Mentioned

JaQuan Bailey

Sheldon Croney Jr.

Greg Eisworth II

Julian Good-Jones

Jamahl Johnson

Josh Knipfel

Joel Lanning

Ray Lima

Bryce Meeker

David Montgomery

Colin Newell

O'Rien Vance

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