Freshman Allen Lazard Could Make Iowa State's Receivers One of the Best in the Big 12

A lot of times, when a true freshman sees the field early, it’s a sign that he is playing a position of weakness. Sure, sometimes there are just transcendent talents who need to get on the field immediately, even if they haven’t had a whole lot of time to learn the playbook, but that is pretty rare among power conference teams. However, that just might be the case with Iowa State Cyclones freshman Allen Lazard.

Lazard should see the field immediately at wide receiver, despite the relative strength of that position for the Iowa State football team. He is simply too good to leave on the sidelines.

One thing that will help Lazard contribute early on is his size. The former Army All-American stands 6-foot-5, 221 pounds, making him a match-up nightmare for most cornerbacks. It’s probably a big part of the reason Lazard has moved up to the second-team offense, less than a week into training camp, according to the Des Moines Register.

“We all know that we have Allen Lazard. He’s a big-time recruit that we got,” Cyclones receiver Jarvis West told reporters. “He’s running with the twos.”

Landing Lazard, one of the most heavily-recruited wide receivers in the nation, was a coup for Cyclones coach Paul Rhoads. The Iowa product opted to stay close to home, spurning offers from the likes of the Oregon Ducks, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, and the Stanford Cardinal. He also chose the Cyclones over their in-state rival, the Iowa Hawkeyes.

Lazard also earned a four-star rating in 247 Sports’ composite rankings.

When Lazard gets on the field in 2014, he will likely do so across from players like Quenton Bundrage and tight end E.J. Bibbs, who combined for 11 touchdowns and more than 1,100 receiving yards last season. He won’t see the field because the Cyclones lack talented pass catchers. It will be quite the opposite. The Cyclones have a deceptively solid group of receivers in 2014, and Lazard should fit right in.

Dan Kelley covers Big 12 football for www.RantSports.com. You can follow him on Twitter @DKelley_CFB or “Like” him on Facebook.