Jordan Underwood | Dear Old Gold

Apparently, former Hawkeye Drake Ayala took the phrase “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” a little too seriously.

Iowa had another down year by Iowa wrestling standards, earning a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Wrestling Championships for the second straight season.

After struggling during the early stages of the 2025-2026 season, including a shocking loss to Iowa State’s Evan Frost, Ayala returned to the elite form he had always had in a Hawkeye uniform.

He scratched and clawed his way to a fifth-place finish at the NCAA Championships, a far cry from where he was in previous seasons, and now with his wrestling career done, he made a surprise move.

Ayala was not the only reason the Hawkeyes struggled this season, but as a veteran leader and one of the program’s top wrestlers, going 3-7 vs. ranked opponents definitely did not help.

He had a very successful career for the Hawkeyes, but his legacy could take a hit in the eyes of Hawkeye fans after joining the coaching staff of Iowa’s biggest rival.

According to “The Wrestling Room’s” Pat Mineo, the three-time All-American is reportedly heading to Ames to join the Iowa State wrestling program as a coach.

It is unclear what his duties for the Cyclones will be, but from multiple heated battles in Carver-Hawkeye to joining a hated rival’s coaching staff is an interesting move.

Regardless of anyone’s feelings toward the move, Ayala brings a wealth of knowledge to Ames, boasting a career record of 86-27, back-to-back NCAA runner-up finishes in 2024 and 2025, and earning All-American status three times.

It is already strange to see Ayala in the Cyclone red and yellow, and will be even more of a gut punch when the Hawkeyes and Cyclones meet on the mat next season.