Penn State Sports Magazine
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D E C E M B E R 2 0 2 6 5 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M T he conversation surrounding Penn State during its bye week centered on the future. Matt Campbell's priority was the present — and the hab- its his players would carry beyond this season. The Nittany Lions were 3-4, with four consecutive losses to open Big Ten play. Redshirt senior quarterback Rocco Becht's struggles had fueled calls for backup Alex Manske, a redshirt fresh- man, to get meaningful snaps. For fans seeking optimism, a look at next year's potential starter offered something this season had not. Campbell continued to view Becht as his best chance to win. Asked Nov. 3 about getting Manske some reps to pre- pare for the future, he acknowledged the value of game experience but made clear that evaluating the backup wasn't his priority. "That is not my intent," Campbell said. "My intent is to have this team playing its best football down the stretch, and that continues to be our pri- ority for our whole football team." After Penn State's 28-25 win at Wash- ington on Nov. 7, those comments took on greater meaning. The Nittany Lions had nearly squandered a 28-6 halftime lead before their veterans helped secure the victory. Becht led a 14-play, 70-yard drive that consumed the final 7:40. He ran for a first down on third-and-6 and later converted fourth-and-1. Washington's illegal-substitution penalty supplied another first down on third-and-5. The Huskies never got the ball back. Senior running back Carson Hansen contrib- uted a 36-yard run on that possession, part of a 119-yard rushing performance. Penn State's response required more than its quarterback, but Becht made the plays that allowed the drive to continue. Campbell hoped "the writing on the quarterback will be a lot better today than maybe it has been." He saw the fin- ish as evidence of Becht's value beyond his passing statistics. "The reality is, that guy gives you poise. That's why that guy is really spe- cial," Campbell said. "When it matters the most, that guy always gives you a chance to win the game. He has all year, and he did it again tonight." For Campbell, the drive demonstrated qualities essential to the program's future. His assessment became more pointed when the conversation turned to the younger players on the sideline. "There were some things I really didn't like in the second half, I'll be honest with you," Campbell said. "I thought there was a lack of poise by some young play- ers on the sideline when things were turning." He pointed to Becht, redshirt senior receiver Chase Sowell, redshirt junior offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh and Hansen as examples for the younger players to follow. "It may not be going good for a second, but watch how they carry themselves. They never waver," Campbell said. "Those [players are] evidence of, 'This is who we're going to be and this is where we're going.' And you're either with us, or you're not." Campbell had previously discussed the work of becoming a team: setting aside individual interests and accept- ing responsibilities that might bring little recognition. These were his most pointed words yet about players who hadn't embraced those expectations. Building for the future meant teaching those lessons now, while games still of- fered a test. For much of the past year, Penn State's challenge was assembling a roster. That process started last December when Campbell and his staff began evaluating the Lions' returning players. They added 24 transfers from Iowa State and 16 from other programs while rebuilding the 2026 recruiting class. With 50 players having entered the portal, simply filling positions was an undertaking. That phase is over. Penn State is shaping its identity, and players have had months to learn what Campbell demands. The final weeks are revealing who can meet those demands when a game turns against them. "That's the great thing about college football: You don't have to be here for very long, right? You've got to choose," Campbell said. "This is the standard. This is the expectation. And this is where we're going." Campbell still has to make those standards stick without continually en- forcing them himself. A team in which players hold one another accountable hasn't fully emerged. His assessment of who can lead it is tied to what happens on every play, including how players re- spond when they aren't on the field. The finish at Washington showed progress, but Campbell's frustration exposed the work that remains. The veterans demonstrated how to protect a lead when momentum had shifted. The younger players' task was to learn from that response. Penn State's future won't be deter- mined solely by turning to players who might be back next year. It's already tak- ing shape through the players embody- ing those expectations right now. ■ Redshirt senior Rocco Becht threw for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns against Washington, then helped Penn State run out the final 7:40 to preserve a 28-25 victory on Nov. 7. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS O P I N I O N NATE BAUER NATE.BAUER@ON3.COM HOT READ Penn State's Future Starts With Its Present