Iowa State football: Midseason report card

Secondary: A-

Oct 11, 2014; Ames, IA, USA; Iowa State Cyclones head coach Paul Rhoads talks with Iowa State Cyclones defensive back Nigel Tribune (34) during the contest against the Toledo Rockets at Jack Trice Stadium. Iowa State defeated Toledo 37-30. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

Without question, the unit that was predicted to be the best defensively has even exceeded their own expectations. It’s hard to believe that no one in the group of Nigel Tribune, T.J. Mutcherson, and Kamari Cotton-Moya is above a sophomore.

Mistakes and missed tackles still prevent the secondary corps from being perfect, but they’ve delivered more often than not. Outside of Baylor, nobody has torched them. Tribune is already showing NFL-caliber talent, Mutcherson has the ability to pick anything off, and Cotton-Moya delivers the hits as a freshman.

This group is going to be quite fun to watch growing up, and it’ll be exciting to see what kind of plays they make in the second half of the season.