Iowa State football seniors ready for final home game as Cyclones take on Kansas
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
AMES — Big Citrus almost made a big decision and walked away from the sport he dedicated so many years to.
Fan-favorite Iowa State football defensive tackle Domonique Orange long held dreams of playing and succeeding in the NFL. Earlier this year, during the spring semester, the harsh self-critic wasn't sure if playing on Sundays was in his future. If not, he wondered if it would be worth continuing to pursue a pipedream.
"I've gone through things mentally, I wanted to quit at one point," Orange said. "It sucked, but I think I'm OK with it, because I know that it's changing me to a better person, a better football player."
Orange leaned on his support system — his mother, friends and coaches — who challenged him to find the motivation to fuel him forward. For Orange, apart from individual success, he hopes to provide stability and a good lifestyle for his future family.
He opted to return for his senior season, and now, he is firmly on NFL mock drafts and various draft boards. An October mock draft by The Athletic projected Orange to go late in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft. A more recent November draft prospect rankings piece from The Athletic had him at No. 37 overall.
As Orange moves closer to realizing those NFL dreams, it also means the rapidly approaching end of his collegiate career. Orange and the Cyclones are preparing for senior day against Kansas at Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 22, at 11 a.m.
It will be the last hurrah in Ames for 16 Cyclones. After that, they will only have two guaranteed college football opportunities left at Oklahoma State on Nov. 29 and whichever bowl game they play in.
They have all been in a reflective mood lately.
"I was an angry kid before I got here," Orange said, laughing. "… Everything negative thing you could possibly think of, that was me. Coming to this program has honestly changed me, to I guess being a better person, being more open to things, this place, this program, this state has changed me to someone I've never thought I'd be in a million years. Totally grateful for that."
In a transfer portal-heavy era of college sports, of the 16 seniors who will be honored pregame, 13 of them have been at Ames for the duration of their college careers.
"They've had some really tough situations and they got through it, and I think it's the reason why this team is still standing and got a chance to do some really special things here at the end of the football season," Cyclones head coach Matt Campbell said of the senior class. "And I think every one of our guys have got a really great story about who they are and who they become."
Among the group is sixth-year senior Tyler Miller, a 6-foot-9, 335-pound tackle, who has a team-high 47 career starts, including 37-straight on the offensive line.
He's seen plenty of seniors over the years make their walk across the field at Jack Trice Stadium in their final home game. It's surreal for him to think it'll be his turn soon.
Like Orange and many other teammates, plenty has changed for Miller since he first arrived at Iowa State. He now has a house of his own, a fiancée and two children.
"I talk to former teammates a lot, guys that were great mentors to me when I was a younger player and continue to have great relationships with a lot of older guys that were here when I was young," Miller said. "That's a big thing they talk about, like you got to cherish all the times. You're going to miss it. You're not going to realize you miss it until you do."
It's an equally emotional experience for coaches, as it is for seniors. There are still games to be played, but it's a bittersweet moment watching players go through the program, then be honored in their final home game in front of a passionate crowd.
"When you're here as long as I have with coach Campbell and you've recruited these guys, and you watch them go through it," said offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser,"… It's going to be a tough day for me. I could go down the list of who those guys are, what they mean to me, what they mean to Iowa State. Why I'm going to miss those guys afterwards isn't because of how talented they are in football, they're all awesome kids that have done everything they can to help us."
Iowa State will hope to give its seniors one last positive memory at Jack Trice Stadium. Those being honored hope to soak in the moment, the crowd and the Cyclone siren that goes off after touchdowns and big plays.
The Cyclones got a big win before the bye week, a 20-17 come-from-behind victory over TCU to break a four-game losing streak. They hope to keep building off of that down the stretch.
"The character in the class that they've led with has been really rewarding to watch," Campbell said. "It's given us a great opportunity to be our best and grow through really hard times and continue to, hopefully, play our best football here at the end of the football season."
Eugene Rapay covers Iowa State athletics for the Des Moines Register. Contact Eugene at erapay@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @erapay5.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa State football seniors ready for final home game against Kansas
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos