Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544053
1 0 A P R I L 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 N ew Penn State quarterback Rocco Becht hit a rough patch during the 2025 season at Iowa State. The Cy- clones lost three in a row in October, then dropped their first contest in November. All the while, the third-year starter was dealing with injuries to both shoulders. Despite the setbacks, Becht led his team to three consecutive victories to close out the year, opting for time in the training room over surgery that would have ended his season prematurely. However, as soon Iowa State beat Oklahoma State in late November to conclude an 8-4 campaign, the veteran signal-caller turned his attention to a more permanent fix. He had the labrum in his left (nonthrowing) shoulder surgi- cally repaired in December, foreclosing the possibility of playing in a bowl game (the team ultimately chose not to partici- pate in the postseason), but giving him a head start on his recovery ahead of the 2026 campaign. Looking back on what turned out to be his final season in Ames, Becht admits that his health problems, coupled with the team's struggles, took a significant toll. "It was really hard," he said in late Feb- ruary. "It was probably the lowest place that I've been in my collegiate career, mentally and physically. There's a four- game stretch when we lost those four games that was pretty tough on me. I had to look at my family and some friends and talk to them and kind of get myself out of it." In addition to the torn labrum in his left shoulder, Becht suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder. Calling it "not the easiest thing to do," he powered through the painful health problems in order to get the Cyclones through their regular season before immediately doing what was necessary to get right for his final collegiate season. After coach Matt Campbell and of- fensive coordinator Taylor Mouser headed to Penn State, Becht knew that he would be playing for the Nittany Li- ons in 2026. "I felt like it was my responsibility to give [the Cyclones] everything that I had, and I think it was the right decision to ultimately get my surgery right after the season, instead of waiting to see if we played in a bowl game or not, because I'd be able to be back sooner," Becht said. NEWS & NOTES ROCCO BECHT BEING EASED BACK INTO ACTION THIS SPRING G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Becht has been recovering from injuries to both shoulders this offseason. He had surgery on his left (nonthrowing) shoulder. PHOTO BY GREG PICKEL