Several reasons for optimism, but also a big cause for concern.
You’ve all heard those cliched football phrases “games are won in the trenches” or that it all “starts up front,” but there’s a reason those lines are perennially dropped by coaches across the country. The defensive line is arguably the most important unit on any given defense, much like the hog mollies on the offensive side of the football. But D-linemen are not found as often as offensive linemen, especially if you are an Iowa State of the college football world, thus putting the Cyclones in a precarious position.