COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: Day 11

Few freshman skill position players at Iowa State have garnered the same level of hype before stepping on the field than Chase Allen. The redshirt freshman tight end from Nixa, Mo. is expected to see his first action as a Cyclone when Northern Iowa visits Jack Trice Stadium for the season opener.

Allen, a former three-star recruit by all the major recruiting services, chose the Cyclones on national signing day in 2016 over offers from Florida State, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State and a host of others. The son of former Iowa State assistant Terry Allen was rated as the No. 3 player in Missouri by ESPN.

He was an all-state selection in football, basketball and track and field during his standout prep career at Nixa High School. The engineering major most likely would have seen the field as a true freshman before injuries suffered after being hit by a car outside the football facility and getting sick early in the season.

After Iowa State has struggled to find production from the tight ends in recent seasons, it seems as though those struggles could come to an end when Allen steps on the field in 2017.