Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
3 0 M A R C H 2 0 2 6 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / T H E C L A S S O F 2 0 2 6 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / E ven before Rocco Becht arrived at Penn State in January, his reputa- tion as a college quarterback had long been secured. To followers of Iowa State football, Becht had come to embody determina- tion, toughness and a winner's men- tality during his three seasons as the Cyclones' starter. His decision to follow coach Matt Campbell to State College was a critical early development in the Nittany Lions' roster-building process. Becht started all 12 games for Iowa State in 2025 even though he was af- fected by an injury to his left (nonthrow- ing) shoulder for much of the season. He was diagnosed with the injury following a 38-30 loss at Cincinnati on Oct. 4 but continued to lead the Cyclones' offense. In the end, he saw action on 817 of Iowa State's 861 total offensive snaps, rank- ing fourth on the team. Not only did the veteran signal-caller play through the injury, he also gutted out a sprain in his opposite shoulder late in the year. Becht underwent labrum surgery on his left shoulder in December. As a re- sult, Penn State fans might not have an opportunity to see him in action this spring. However, his willingness to play through injuries offers a window into his makeup. Maybe more important, it also helps explain what his presence in the program means to Campbell at the start of his tenure at Penn State. "It's fit. It's the relationship with the head coach. The head coach and the quarterback better be linked at the hip," Campbell said. "The quarterback and the head coach get all the blame, THE TOUGH GET GOING Resilient quarterback Rocco Becht joins PSU in hope of reprising a winning partnership NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M Becht won 26 games the past three seasons as the starting quarterback at Iowa State. He's got more career wins than any returning quarterback in the FBS this year. COURTESY IOWA STATE ATHLETICS