Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1543434
M A R C H 2 0 2 6 31 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / T R A N S F E R S / / / / / / / and they probably get all the credit, so they're on both sides of it. That's not al- ways true, but they had better be linked at the hip, because the quarterback has got to have the leadership ability, the toughness and the grit to control the locker room. "I think you're always looking for the right intangibles. Everybody likes [speed], everybody likes arm strength, but those things don't win. What wins is grit, toughness, character and the ability to lead others around you." 'He's A Gamer' In Becht, Penn State is counting on those qualities carrying over from his tenure in Ames. Ranked by On3 as the No. 33 overall prospect in this year's transfer class and No. 9 quarterback, Becht comes out of an Iowa State pro- gram that placed a high priority on the development and success of its signal- callers. The traits that helped him be- come one of the Big 12's top quarter- backs are foundational elements to the Nittany Lions' upcoming season. "Rocco has got competitive excel- lence," said new Penn State offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser, who served in that same capacity with the Cyclones the past two seasons. "With him, until the last second ticks off, you're always going to feel like you've got a chance. When you're playing him in the drive- way, you know it's not 'next goal wins.' If you win, he'll run it back. He'll go until he wins." From a numbers perspective, Becht has put together an impressive résumé. He's completed just over 60 percent of his passes since making his debut as a true freshman in 2022, throwing 64 touchdowns against 27 interceptions while amassing 9,274 yards through the air. In addition, he's rushed for 499 yards and 19 touchdowns. Among returning FBS quarterbacks, Becht's passing yardage total ranks sec- ond only to Josh Hoover, who recently transferred from TCU to Indiana. He's the nation's winningest returning sig- nal-caller, having guided Iowa State to 26 victories as a starter over the past three years. CycloneReport publisher Bill Seals has been watching Becht since the start of his college career and recently de- scribed the 6-foot-1, 210-pound Flo- ridian as a player who possesses the qualities Campbell has sought to instill throughout his teams. "What you've seen in Rocco is kind of what you get," Seals said. "He's a gamer. He's a winner. When he entered the portal, everyone said he was the win- ningest quarterback in the portal, and that's what he is. "If it's a tie game or Penn State is down a little bit in the fourth, he's someone that Matt Campbell is going to want to have the ball in his hands. He's led Iowa State back in a number of games. With him, sometimes there will be slow starts, but he's a guy that defi- nitely gets dialed in in the latter stages of the game." Winning Plays On the ground, meanwhile, Becht showed an effectiveness that repeatedly produced dividends for the Cyclones. Before his injury against Cincinnati in the sixth game of the 2025 season, Becht posted 7 touchdowns. Against Kansas State in the opener, he recorded 44 yards after contact and routinely helped pick up first downs. For the sea- son, that amounted to 27 first downs on the ground on 86 total carries. Seals said that if Becht is fully recov- ered from his shoulder injury, he could continue to pose a threat to opponents as a ball carrier. "I don't know if you would have called him a dual-threat quarterback his first two seasons, but he was a guy that wasn't afraid to take off and run and pick up yardage, maybe on a third-and- long," Seals said. "We didn't see that a whole lot last season, just with the in- jury and what he was nursing there. But if he's back to full health, he's a guy that opposing defenses are going to have to account for [as a rusher]." A three-star prospect coming out of Wiregrass Ranch High in Wesley Cha- pel, Fla., in the class of 2022, Becht de- veloped a good rapport with Campbell during his time with the Cyclones. The level of trust was so high that he and his family chose to spend his final season of college football at Penn State. Campbell has prioritized those sorts of relationships throughout his career, and his connection with Becht now stands at the forefront of the Nittany Lions' move into a new era. "I believe when the quarterback and the head football coach are aligned in their values — how they're going to lead the locker room, what they're going to stand for — great things can happen," Campbell recently told ESPN's Josh Pate. With that shared vision serving as the bedrock of their relationship, Campbell and Becht are eager to continue to pro- duce winning results at Penn State. ■ R O C C O B E C H T B Y T H E N U M B E R S Year GP Comp. Att. Int. Yds. TD Pct. Avg./G Rush Yds. TD Avg./G 2022 3 7 15 1 65 0 46.6 21.7 1 2 0 0.7 2023 13 231 367 8 3,120 23 62.9 240.0 62 63 3 4.8 2024 14 271 456 9 3,505 25 59.4 250.4 98 318 8 22.7 2025 12 205 339 9 2,584 16 60.5 215.3 86 116 8 9.7 Total 42 714 1,177 27 9,274 64 60.7 220.8 247 499 19 11.9 "I believe when the quarterback and the head football coach are aligned in their values — how they're going to lead the locker room, what they're going to stand for — great things can happen." P E N N S T A T E H E A D C O A C H M A T T C A M P B E L L