Carson Willich holds the SLB · Starter spot in Iowa State Cyclones’s linebacker room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Carson Willich is a 6'1", 220-pound side linebacker from Blue Springs, Missouri, where he was an all-district and all-conference selection as a junior before missing his senior year to injury. A three-star recruit in the 2022 class, he chose Iowa State over Kansas State, Kansas, and Northwestern. Willich returned to action in 2022, playing in four games while maintaining his redshirt and recording eight tackles. He appeared in all 13 games in 2023, totaling 25 tackles with 2.0 for a loss and three quarterback hurries. After missing the 2024 season due to spring injury, Willich played in six games in 2025 with three starts, posting 18 tackles including one for a loss and one quarterback hurry. He is a four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree.

Iowa State2022 — present