Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1545675
A U G U S T 2 0 2 6 3 5 / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / / Q U A R T E R B A C K S / / / / / / / After sharing a huddle and backfield with Becht for the past two seasons, Hansen — now gearing up for his senior season — has seen those qualities emerge repeatedly when it counts. Whether it was the bobbled-snap- turned-touchdown in a win against Cincinnati late in the 2024 season, the fourth-and-goal scoring plunge that rallied Iowa State past Miami in the Pop- Tarts Bowl with less than a minute to play, or his fourth-quarter, fourth-down conversion to beat Kansas State last sea- son, Becht has repeatedly delivered. And that sort of fearlessness, particularly when paired with his charismatic brand of leadership, has been impactful. "Whenever we're in a drought, he al- ways picks us up. He's always positive. When things are looking down, he al- ways picks everyone's head up and just keeps moving forward," Hansen said. "He has the poise in the moment to make plays. I think he does a great job of that, staying level-headed in the game. Don't get too high. Don't get too low." Penn State's offense won't simply mirror the group Becht previously led in Ames last season. While many former Iowa State teammates already under- stood his leadership profile — includ- ing the toughness he exhibited while battling multiple injuries in 2025 — the returning Penn State players and trans- fer portal additions largely entered the spring with a blank slate. Becht was unable to fully partici- pate in spring practice due to surgery he underwent in December to repair the labrum in his left (nonthrowing) shoulder. As a result, he had to find other ways of exhibiting leadership and creating chemistry. Instead of taking place on the practice field, the relationship-building that Becht knew he needed to do Scholarship Players (5) No. Player Yr. Ht. Wt. 17 Connor Barry Sr. 6-1 211 3 Rocco Becht R-Sr. 6-1 208 12 Kase Evans Fr. 6-3 200 14 Peyton Falzone Fr. 6-5 216 7 Alex Manske R-Fr. 6-3 210