Peterson: Iowa State's Jaylin Noel is the new go-to receiver for quarterback Hunter Dekkers
Jaylin Noel has his work cut out for him, and he knows it. He’s practically lived in the weight room the past couple months. When not there, he’s been in the indoor facility, catching balls from anyone who will throw them.
If there’s someone who's going to be the Xavier Hutchinson of 2023, it’s Noel, Hunter Dekkers’ No. 2 target during a disappointing 4-8 season in 2022.
Noel has been working on concentration and route-running. Away from the field, he’s working on becoming the wonderful leader that the now-gone Hutchinson was.
“I learned a lot of things from him,” Noel, a junior, told reporters after practice Tuesday night. “The first thing is consistency. He’s a guy that came in to practice every day and practiced the same way every time. He was relentless about that.”
Iowa State's Xavier Hutchinson was one of the nation's top receivers last season
Hutchinson broke his own school record for receptions with 107 last season, the nation’s second-best total. He was one of three players in the country with more than100 catches.
Now prepping for next month's NFL Draft, Hutchinson led college football with 8.9 receptions a game. He was one of three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, college football’s highest honor for a receiver.
More:Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell discusses QBs, kicking and consistency as spring begins
That’s just part of what needs replaced in coach Matt Campbell’s eighth Cyclones season. Here’s something else: Hutchinson had 1,171 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2022. Who puts up those statistics when this season starts on Sept. 2 against Northern Iowa at Jack Trice Stadium?
“To be the guy like Xavier, with 107 catches, is a lot to do,” new receivers coach Noah Pauley said Tuesday.
Iowa State receiver Jaylin Noel poised to fill gap created by Hutchinson's departure
Noel will give it his best shot while playing a new now-you-see-him-now-you-don’t role. He could be in the slot. He could be the wideout opposite the tight end. He could be the flanker.
A speedy and athletic guy like Noel cannot be pigeonholed into just one spot. He has to move around. Keep defenses guessing.
“He’s been a great guy in the slot,” Pauley said. “I think he can be a guy that’s position-flexible, with the way he runs, and puts pressure on defensive backs.”
Noel is so valuable in Iowa State’s quest to become nationally relevant again that he’ll be returning punts and kickoffs, which he did better than all other Cyclones last season.
“Being able to move around the field is good for everyone,” Noel said. “It keeps the defense on their toes. Spreading me around is good for the offense and good for myself moving forward.”
Which does he prefer, besides all of them?
“Me being able to utilize my speed − the outside,” he said, then quickly reversed field. “On the inside − being able to utilize quick change of direction. It’s a 50-50 split.”
Eventually, he got specific:
“Being more on the outside would be interesting and fun − to develop more skills being out there.”
The fact that Dekkers and Noel already have formed a quarterback-receiver relationship has allowed other receivers to show their stuff during the early stages of spring ball.
An early head-turner has been Kai Black, a freshman from Urbandale who enrolled at the semester.
More:Iowa State football coach Matt Campbell discusses QBs, kicking and consistency as spring begins
“If he’s one of the best 11, he’s got a chance,” Pauley said when I asked if he might contribute during his rookie season. “He was 213 (pounds). Now he’s around 220. He looks like he’s been here for a few years.”
Iowa State looking for more consistency on offensive side of the ball
The bottom line is that Noel must be on the field someplace. He’s the offense's most versatile, most experienced and most durable player. That’s why Noel has been working on consistency, a buzz word during Matt Campbell’s half-hour media session last week.
"We were inconsistent at times with our process," Campbell said. "How do we do what we do? That’s where our deep dive has been globally – how we train, how we study film, and from how we teach to how we learn."
If there’s an early example for all that, it's Noel. If there's a leader for Iowa State offensive most valuable player, my vote goes to the guy who must be on the field in some capacity.
“Jaylin has been mature from Day 1,” Campbell said. “The next step in his football game is consistency. There were times last year that Jaylin wanted to make the play so much that he might have been a hair off on some plays.
“He’s a grown man. He knows how to play the game. He practices like a pro. Now, it’s a matter of putting it all together.”
Iowa State columnist Randy Peterson is in his 51st year writing sports for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at rpeterson@dmreg.com, and on Twitter @RandyPete
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football's Jaylin Noel ready to become the go-to receiver
