Joel Lanning has been the Iowa State linebacker grabbing all the headlines leading up to the 2017 season, but there is another newcomer in the group who could make a big impact on the Cyclones’ defense this season.
Redshirt freshman Tymar Sutton would have battled for playing time as a true freshman if not for a preseason hand injury. He’s back to full strength this year and listed behind Lanning as the No. 2 mike linebacker on Iowa State’s pre-fall camp depth chart.
The former three-star recruit chose Iowa State over offers from Maryland, Illinois, Syracuse, Wisconsin and Boston College. Sutton, a 5-foot-10, 222-pound Pennsylvania native, was rated as the No. 87 outside linebacker in the 2016 class by Scout.
He was an honorable mention all-state selection by Pennsylvania Football News as a senior at McKeesport High School after recording 19 tackles, two sacks and a fumble recovery for a team that went 9-2.
Getting snaps isn’t a guarantee for Sutton with Lanning solidifying himself as the leader of the linebacker room, but there is little doubt he will be looked on to be a major contributor for Iowa State in the not so distant future.
