(Ames) — Cyclones teammates will stay teammates in the NFL. The Houston Texans selected Iowa State All-American wide receiver Jayden Higgins with the No. 34 pick in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Houston then drafted Jaylin Noel with the No. 79 pick in the third round of the Draft. 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.
Meanwhile, the Las Vegas Raiders selected DB Darien Porter with the No. 98 pick in the third round of the NFL Draft.
Higgins had one of the best seasons in program history on his way to becoming the third Cyclone wide receiver to earn All-America honors in the last quarter century. He played two seasons at Iowa State after transferring from FCS Eastern Kentucky, helping the Cyclones go 18-9 during his time in Ames, including a school-record 11-3 mark in 2024.
The 6-4 pass catcher finished the season with 87 receptions, the second-most in school history, for 1,183 yards and nine touchdown catches. He was 10th nationally in receiving yards, 14th in receptions per game (6.7) and 20th in receiving TDs. Higgins finished the season with 17 receptions of 20-plus yards and topped 100 yards in five games.
He was a Second Team All-Big 12 selection by the league’s coaches.
A South Miami, Florida, native, Higgins broke Iowa State’s school record with a TD reception in seven-straight games, a streak that spanned the final two games of 2023 and the first five games of 2024 and was the nation’s longest active streak at the time.
Higgins’ best game as a Cyclone came in the 2023 Liberty Bowl against Memphis when he finished with nine receptions for 214 yards. He had a career-high 10 receptions against Texas Tech and recorded seven or more catches in seven of 13 games in 2024.
In his two seasons as a Cyclone, Higgins finished with 140 receptions (10th all-time), 2,166 yards (7th) and 15 touchdowns (T-6th). His eight career 100-yard receiving games are tied for the third-most in school history.
In his four-year college career at EKU and ISU, he accumulated 227 receptions for 3,317 yards and 28 touchdowns.
Higgins was a participant at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
2025 Iowa State NFL Draft Picks
Jayden Higgins – Houston Texans – 2nd Round – Pick 34
Cyclone Draft Notes
- This is Iowa State’s first player picked in the 2025 NFL Draft.
- Higgins is the third-highest drafted Cyclone in school history behind only George Amundson (No. 14, 1973) and Will McDonald (No. 15, 2023).
- Higgins is the second Cyclone to be selected by the Houston Texans…WR Xavier Hutchinson was the last Cyclone selected by the Texans (2023 – No. 205 – 6th round).
- Higgins is the 13th Cyclone drafted under Matt Campbell in nine drafts.
- This is the third wide receiver picked since Campbell’s arrival in 2016 … prior to Campbell’s tenure ISU hadn’t had a wide receiver picked since 1985.
- Higgins joins former Cyclone Hutchinson on the Texans’ roster.
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.
Porter came to Iowa State in 2019 and spent his first three seasons at wide receiver, but mostly saw action on special teams during that time. In 2022, Porter moved to the defensive side of the ball and patiently worked his way into the rotation, eventually starting seven games as a senior in 2024.
The Raiders will also get a special teams standout. Porter blocked five kicks (four punt, one FG) in his career, the most by any Cyclone during the Big 12 era (1996-2024).
As a senior, Porter began to really shine on defense, earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 accolades. He finished the season with 18 tackles, three interceptions and two blocks.
The Bettendorf, Iowa, native intercepted two passes against Iowa to lead the Cyclones to a win against their rival. Porter’s third interception of the season came against Texas Tech.
Porter had the nation’s sixth-best coverage ranking among cornerbacks according to Pro Football Focus.
He finished his career playing in 64 games, the most of any player in school history and the third-most by a Big 12 player at a single school.
He was a participant at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.
