Behind Zeb Noland's rise to Iowa State's starting quarterback

AMES, Ia. — Matt Campbell called Zeb Noland into his office on Oct. 4.

Iowa State was three days away from playing the nation's No. 3-ranked team at the time, Oklahoma. And they were making a quarterback change.

Jacob Park, the starter, was taking a leave from the team to work through what the program later described as personal health issues. Noland and Kyle Kempt had been Park's backups.

But Campbell was not delivering good news to Noland this day: Iowa State was going to go with the more experienced Kyle Kempt, Campbell told the redshirt freshman.

“I started smiling because I knew it was Kyle’s time, and I was happy for him,” Noland said.

Noland expected Kempt, his good friend, to shine — and he did. He’d go on to guide Iowa State to four straight wins, including victories over the Sooners and then-No. 4 TCU.

Deep down, Noland wondered if his shot would ever come. He thought about his dad, Travis. He'd been a college quarterback too. His dad played some, but he never got a chance to start.

Noland thumbed out a text and sent it to his father:

"Dad, do you think they’ll ever believe in me?"

The competitor

Noland loved competing, even as a young kid — didn't matter in what, either.

Zeb battled with his brothers, Abe and Ben, to see who could brush their teeth fastest.

They’d race to see who could go up the stairs faster.

Travis, a high school football coach after his playing days at Appalachian State, saw Zeb as a budding football talent early on.

When Zeb was about 12, an opposing defense came rushing in at him. Zeb, playing quarterback, didn’t get distracted or scared by it. He stared down the pressure and heaved a pass down the field.

That’s when Travis knew his son had potential.

Little seemed to scare Noland — if anything.

The family practiced Taekwondo. When Zeb was 16, he was partnered with a man who appeared to be in his mid-30s. Travis recalled the man taking a cheap shot at Zeb. His son responded by countering with a shot into the guy's nose and he left embarrassed, Travis remembered.

“He’s just got the ability to fight back when things don’t necessarily go his way,” Travis said.

It's a trait that continues to serve him well.

Only a few college coaches noticed Zeb, who starred for his dad's program at Oconee County High School in Georgia.

The first program to be serious about him was Toledo, which was then coached by Campbell. Campbell was also the first to make an offer.

Noland liked Campbell, but his dad feared that he wouldn’t stay at Toledo, a hunch that would prove to be right, of course. Appalachian State, however, seemed like a perfect fit. Noland had family close to the school, and his dad had played there. He committed to the Mountaineers in June 2015.

Campbell didn’t give up on Noland, though.

When Iowa State hired him five months later, he called Travis and asked if he could offer Zeb a scholarship.

At first, Zeb wasn’t interested in taking a visit to Ames. His father convinced him otherwise. Travis thought there might be something brewing at Iowa State. And they owed it to Campbell to take a look since he'd been the first to make an offer, his father told him.

“We were just floored when we got to Ames,” Travis said.

It was enough to change Zeb's mind. In December, he flipped his commitment to Iowa State.

Tough times in his first season

Less than 20 days after committing, Noland was in Ames and enrolled at Iowa State.

He missed his senior year prom — he was playing in the Iowa State Spring Game that day. Noland returned home to graduate, though.

“I just felt like it was the best decision for me,” Noland said. “That last semester in high school can go two ways — you can do the right thing and get better and become a really good player, going into the fall camp, or you can go a different route, and do dumb things or do the wrong thing and get yourself in trouble, and you may lose your scholarship or something.”

Noland set out to show Iowa State's coaches that he would be the program's future quarterback.

He hit the weight room hard. He bonded with his new teammates. Noland even drew up plays and showed them to Campbell.

Heading into the 2016 fall camp, Noland had been so impressive that he was competing for the top backup quarterback spot.

His depth chart ascent was halted early in camp, though, when he tore his ACL. It was an injury that would require three surgeries to fix.

His rehab process was tedious and tested Noland's patience. Travis said Zeb thought about transferring from Iowa State but talked himself out of it.

“Zeb never doubted himself,” his mother, Julie, said. “He never doubted he’d be back on the field. It was just a matter of time. He did more than what was asked. There were ups and downs, but he never once questioned his dream and what he wants to do.”

And slowly but surely, he worked his way back into shape.

He played in Iowa State’s spring game earlier this year but was limited. By the start of this season, Noland was fully cleared.

He was ready to play.

But with Park entrenched at starter, there was little work available.

Needed in a pinch

After Noland had his meeting in October with Campbell, he returned to watching film with Iowa State passing game coordinator Jim Hofher. Two days later, he called his dad and told him that Kempt was getting the start.

If anyone could relate, it was his father. Travis had been the backup quarterback at Appalachian State from 1988-1992.

"He said the No. 1 thing his head coach told him is always be ready for his opportunity," Zeb recalled of the conversation, "because you never know when your number’s going to be called.”

Zeb didn’t just prepare — he overprepared. He took his father's message to heart.

Kempt, meanwhile, guided Iowa State to a stretch of unprecedented success, with four straight wins — including two victories over top-five teams. Kempt was featured in news outlets across the country.

During the run, Iowa State became bowl eligible for the first time since 2012.

Off to the side, quietly, Noland was making massive strides.

"He’s been super focused," Iowa State offensive coordinator Tom Manning said. "If you’re a quarterback, sometimes that’s really hard to take, and I think he took it the right way and, certainly, kept working.”

It's a good thing he did. His chance to start came Nov. 11.

With Iowa State trailing Oklahoma State 21-14 in the second quarter, Kempt came out of the game with an injury to his throwing shoulder. Noland, who had attempted 10 passes in his college career, was thrown in against the nation's 15th-ranked team.

He guided Iowa State on a 91-yard scoring drive to tie the game before halftime.

“I just tried to make the most of my opportunity,” Noland said.

And that's just what he did — in impressive fashion. Noland completed 17 of 28 passes for 263 yards and one interception. The interception came on Iowa State’s last offensive play of the game, a controversial pick in which an Oklahoma State defender and an Iowa State receiver both vied for possession of the ball.

“He was waiting for his opportunity to shine,” Manning said, "and he certainly did so."

Last week, the Cyclones started Noland at Baylor, with Kempt still on the mend. The night before the game, Noland met with his dad at the team hotel and told him he might be starting.

“It was awesome,” Zeb said. “He didn’t get his opportunity at Appalachian State. As a father, I guess he was excited to see his son out there living the dream.”

Noland’s parents watched from the stands as he trotted out for his first start.

“It reminded me of some of our long road trips during the recruiting process,” Travis said. “It just made me think of all the times of him saying to me in that car, when it was just he and I, ‘Dad, do you think I’ll ever get my shot? Do you think anybody will ever give me a shot?’”

Noland was promising in that start. He guided Iowa State to a win, completing 14 of his 28 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

It remains unclear who will start on Saturday at Kansas State in the regular season finale. But Noland has won the trust of his coaches with his play — as well as his demeanor.

“He’s very competitive,” Manning said. “Zeb gets pissed off when he throws a bad pass pretty much every time. And that’s awesome.”

And for that future of his? It suddenly looks brilliantly bright.

“I’m really excited for him,” Campbell said. “(It’s) kind of fun to watch him grow from here.”