Noel Drafted In Third Round By Houston

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State wide receiver Jaylin Noel has been selected by the Houston with the No. 79 pick in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, reuniting him with fellow Cyclone wide receivers Xavier Hutchinson and Jayden Higgins, who was picked by the Texans earlier tonight.

This is the first time since 1974 (Ike Harris and Willie Jones) that Iowa State has had two wide receivers picked in the same draft.

Noel, a Kansas City, Missouri, native, finished his Cyclone career as one of the best pass catchers in program history. He was a two-time All-Big 12 receiver and was named Big 12 Co-Special Teams Player of the Year as a senior in 2024.

He finished last season with 80 receptions for 1,194 receiving yards and eight touchdowns, all among the top-five single-season marks in school history. He had five 100-yard receiving games in 2024 as he helped lead the Cyclones to an 11-3 record, the first double-digit win season in program history.

Noel steadily improved during his time as a Cyclone, making 39 receptions as a freshman, 60 as a sophomore and 66 as a junior before his 80-catch season in 2024, which was the fifth-most catches in a season at ISU.

A model of consistency, Noel had a reception in his final 46 games, which ranked third among active NCAA players and was the second-longest streak in school history. He also had a propensity for big plays, finishing his career with seven 50-yard touchdowns.

The two-time co-captain finished his career playing in 51 games with 33 starts. He ranks second all-time at ISU with 245 receptions and is fourth with 2,855 receiving yards. His 18 career TD catches are the fourth-most in program history behind Todd Blythe and current NFL players Allen Lazard (New York Jets) and Charlie Kolar (Baltimore Ravens).

Noel was a participant at the Reese's Senior Bowl and was named the top wide receiver on the National squad at the Practice Player of the Week ceremony.

2025 Iowa State NFL Draft Picks
Jayden Higgins - Houston Texans - 2nd Round - Pick 34
Darien Porter – Las Vegas Raiders – 3rd Round – Pick 68
Jaylin Noel – Houston Texans – 3rd Round – Pick 79

Cyclone Draft Notes
- This is the first time since 1974 (Ike Harris and Willie Jones) that Iowa State has had two wide receivers picked in the same draft.
- Noel is the third Cyclone to be selected by the Houston Texans…WR Xavier Hutchinson was the selected by the Texans (2023 – No. 205 – 6th round) in 2023 and WR Jayden Higgins (2025 – No. 34 – 2nd Round) was drafted by the Texans in this draft.
- This is the fifth time in program history that two players have been drafted by the same team in the same draft: 1939 Chicago Bears (Ev Kischer, Ed Bock, Charlie Heileman); 1952 Philadelphia Eagles (Malcolm Schmidt, Maury Schnell); 1977 Detroit Lions (Luther Blue, Dave Greenwood); 1977 New York Giants (Al Dixon, Otis Rodgers); 2025 Houston Texans (Jayden Higgins, Jaylin Noel).
- Noel is the 15th Cyclone drafted under Matt Campbell.
- This is Iowa State's third player picked in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Jayden Higgins in the second round.

Jaylin Noel in the third round.

A pair of @CycloneFB WRs are headed to the @HoustonTexans. #NFLDraft pic.twitter.com/plgcFcDUQd
— NFL (@NFL) April 26, 2025

Players Mentioned

Jayden Higgins

Jaylin Noel

Darien Porter

Sponsors

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