Darien Porter

Photo by: Jeff Spaur

Photo by: Jeff Spaur

Photo by: Jeff Spaur

Photo by: KL6PHOTO LLC.

Position:
Defensive Back
Height:
6-4
Weight:
200
Class:
Redshirt Senior
Hometown:
Bettendorf, Iowa
High School:
Bettendorf

Awards and Honors
Honorable Mention All-Big 12 DB - Coaches (2024)
Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Nominee (2023)
Second Team Academic All-Big 12 (2020, 2021)
Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (F22)

NFL Draft
Drafted by the Las Vegas Raiders with pick No. 38 in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

2024
Saw action in 12 games, making seven starts ... earned honorable mention All-Big 12 honors ... first career start came in season opener against North Dakota ... served as Iowa State's fourth captain in five games ... finished with 18 tackles, including 2.0 for a loss ... had three interceptions and two blocks, one punt and one field goal ... picked off first two career passes in win at rival Iowa ... first interception started Cyclone rally in third quarter, while second interception sealed the win in final seconds ... against Arkansas State, blocked his fourth career punt becoming one of just seven players nationally since 2012 to block at least four punts ... blocked a field goal against Kansas State making him the first Cyclone in the Big 12 era (1996-2024) to have five career blocked kicks (4 punt, 1 FG) ... notched his third interception of the season against Texas Tech ... had a career-high six tackles against Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium ... had sixth-best coverage ranking among cornerbacks according to PFF ... played in 64 career games, the most of any player in school history and the third-most by a Big 12 player at a single school ... finished career with 51 tackles, 2.0 for a loss, and three interceptions ... team went 45-32 in his career, reached two Big 12 Championship games and five bowl games.

2023
Played in 12 games for the Cyclones as a defensive back and a key member of the special teams units ... had 10 tackles and three pass breakups on the season, including five special teams tackles ... blocked third career punt against TCU ... one of six known players in school history with three or more blocked kicks ... notched two tackles in contests against UNI, Kansas State and Memphis.

2022
Moved to defensive back and played in all 12 games ... had a career-high three tackles against Kansas State and TCU ... a standout on special teams ... blocked a punt against Oklahoma State and recovered it ... had three special teams tackles and finished with 15 total tackles ... broke up a pass against K-State and had a quarterback hurry against Southeast Missouri.

2021
Played in all 13 games on special teams … recorded three tackles.

2020
Saw action in all 12 games, primarily on special teams … registered five tackles.

2019
Saw action in three games before earning a redshirt.

High School
Chose Iowa State over Nebraska, Penn State and Minnesota … three-star recruit by 247Sports, Rivals and ESPN … rated as the No. 63 wide receiver and No. 6 player in Iowa by 247Sports … team finished 10-2 and advanced to the state semifinals in both 2017 and 2018 … two-time all-district pick and first-team all-state selection as a senior as a kick returner … tallied 27 catches for 440 yards and seven TDs in 2018 … had a long TD catch of 77 yards and averaged 16.3 yards per catch … also rushed for 208 yards and three TDs, averaging 13.0 yards per rush … helped team to a 10-2 record as a junior, catching 10 passes for 251 yards and four TDs … averaged 25.1 yards per catch … standout in track & field, winning the Class 4A state championship in the 400 meters in 2017 and 2019, and was runner-up in 2018 … his time of 46.99 in 2019 broke the Class 4A state record and was the first sub-47.00 400 in Iowa prep history … also a member of the 2019 state champion Class 4A 800 sprint medley team and winner of the state title in the 200 meters to claim three state titles … placed third in the 200 meters and member of the 4X400 relay team that finished runner-up in 2018 … coached by Aaron Wiley.

Personal
Majoring in public relations.