Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544665
2 8 M A Y 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 midst of a quicker-than-expected re- covery, that won't be a concern. He was available for seven-on-seven drills on April 11 and 14, during which he had a chance to perform a bit of on-field work with his teammates, some of whom knew him from his time at Iowa State, and some of whom are holdovers from Penn State's 2025 roster. "My biggest [priority] with Rocco is getting him back out there with our wide receiver group and being able to throw and catch the football, command the of- fense and be able to verbalize a new of- fensive system," Campbell said. "What you love about Rocco is that every day you walk past him at 4 o'clock and he's got the entire receiving corps and tight end corps [with him]. He's meeting with those guys and going over practice. That's what you want to see." The staff will have to wait a little longer to see how Becht's projected backup fares as part of Penn State's new offense. Man- ske was out of action for the duration of practice while recovering from his injury. Campbell described his medical issue as "something he's been dealing with." "We felt it was best to get it taken care of now so we can get him back ready for fall camp," the coach said. This is the second time in his young career that the former four-star pros- pect has had to miss spring practice. He had been an early enrollee at Iowa State last year but was held out of action while recovering from an elbow injury that he had suffered as a senior at Alg- ona High. But even though Manske was not at Penn State for part of the spring, Waters said he was staying as engaged as possible from home. "Alex is doing awesome," Waters said. "I talk to him every day. He's in great spirits. He's itching to get back here. He wants to get back in the worst way and get back to football and all that, which will be soon. Just knowing the type of person he is, I have no worries about him getting back. But we all miss him and want him back fast." A year ago, Manske was able to par- ticipate in the Cyclones' summer con- ditioning program and informal work- outs. He ended up seeing limited action, playing in three games and completing 4 of 5 attempts for 28 yards, with all of his passes coming in a 55-7 victory over South Dakota in August. On the ground, he added 33 yards and a touchdown on 7 carries. Manske had been expected to take much-needed snaps at Penn State this spring. Waters was looking to work with him on his footwork and decision-mak- ing, but those refinements will have to wait until the summer. Even so, Waters said Manske's time away from the team has not been without value. "We Zoom him in on every single meeting. And with the time change, if it's early, we record it and send it to him, and then me and him meet — we'll meet and go over the practice together," Wa- ters said. "He's watching every single Rocco Becht saw limited action this spring while recovering from shoulder surgery but is expected to be fully healthy in time for the start of the season in September. PHOTO BY THOMAS FRANK CARR