Penn State Sports Magazine
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O C T O B E R 2 0 2 6 41 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M O P I N I O N THOMAS FRANK CARR T F R A N K .C A R R @ O N 3 .C O M I f you watched new Penn State start- ing quarterback Rocco Becht prior to his arrival in State College, you al- ready knew he doesn't lack confidence. He's decisive and quick-minded. One of the most experienced signal-callers in the country, Becht finds his target and lets it go. That wasn't a surprise watching Becht during August camp. The real surprise was that his teammates, Alex Manske and Connor Barry, also looked decisive with the ball during com- petitive periods against the starting defense. That gives Penn State three quar- terbacks at three different career stages playing the same style of football. Becht is the redshirt se- nior who's spent his entire career in this offense. Barry is a Division III transfer jumping up a huge level and learning a new scheme as a senior. Manske, a redshirt freshman, has been in offensive coordinator Tay- lor Mouser's system for two years, but various injuries have limited his practice time throughout. The question is how Penn State got all three players to the same point. First, these quarterbacks have con- fidence, but not blind confidence. Manske said the group put in real work to learn the system and become experts on what they're doing the moment the ball is snapped. "Over the summer, guys really dove into the playbook, really worked on route depths, like the right steps with the receivers and tight ends," Manske said. "I think that's really helped us." It's not just spring football any- more, either. Rule changes now allow teams to practice with coaches in June and July. Once Manske was medically cleared this offseason after undergo- ing heart surgery in March, he got two full months of work before camp even started. "I think we just built a lot more chemistry over the summer," he said. And in case you're wondering, Man- ske doesn't think he's "behind" as a prospect. He pushed back on that sug- gestion when asked about his hot start to camp in early August. "I feel like I haven't missed that much," he said. "I feel like I've played a lot of football, and I got a lot of reps last year during fall camp at Iowa State, so I really don't feel like I'm behind in reps." Football has a long-running nature- versus-nurture debate, especially at quarterback. The position demands a very specific personality type. Does a player's mindset naturally fit what's being asked of him? Or can the con- cepts be taught well enough that play- ing quarterback becomes almost like taking a test? As always, it's probably a bit of both. Quarterbacks coach Jake Waters be- lieves decisiveness can be built with the right coaching applied to the right play- ers. "I think it's a mindset, and it all starts with the preparation," Waters said. "If you know your read and know what you're looking for, and you see the look you like, or if a guy's open, I want them to be confident. I don't want them second-guessing it and throwing not to make a mistake." Manske agrees that part of his suc- cess as a quarterback has to do with how he's wired, but he also credits Wa- ters for reinforcing that instinct. "He's always saying, if it's there, rip it. If you're in a meeting, I think you'll hear him say it almost every time," Manske said. "He's always trying to teach that to us. But obviously play smart, take care of the ball, check it down [when necessary]." It's easy to see why Matt Camp- bell insisted on bringing most of his offensive staff with him from Iowa State. There's a shared understanding running from the offensive coordi- nator down through the assistants. They all think about the offense the same way. Still, Waters is quick to acknowl- edge, like any coach would, that a quarterback can't be reckless with the football. Ego and overconfidence can't get in the way of sound decisions. "You've got a fine line between that, and then also knowing situationally what we have to do with the ball," he said. "But if they see something that you know, based on the timing of the play, the timing of the drop, the cover- age, and what they like, I want them to rip it and feel confident on game day, and any day. "I've been there," Waters added. "The minute you start to second-guess and you're unsure, that's when mis- takes happen." Because Penn State was able to build a big lead on Marshall, Manske and Barry both got into the opener. They played a combined 34 snaps and completed 7 of 9 passes for 53 yards, showing the same decisiveness we saw throughout preseason camp. ■ PSU's Quarterbacks Share a Common Trait: Confidence Just as he did at Iowa State last season, redshirt fresh- man Alex Manske is serving as Rocco Becht's backup this fall with the Nittany Lions. PHOTO BY FRANK HYATT UPON FURTHER REVIEW