Rocco Becht commits to Penn State, joins coach Matt Campbell

Field Level Media
05 Jan 2026, 08:10 GMT+10

(Photo credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images)

Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht announced Sunday that he has committed to Penn State, the school that hired Cyclones coach Matt Campbell early last month.

The commitment gives Campbell instant player leadership in Becht as he establishes his program at the Big Ten school.Becht passed for 9,274 yards and 64 touchdowns for the Cyclones over the past four seasons. He was intercepted 27 times and also rushed for 19 touchdowns.

The only Iowa State quarterback to throw more career touchdown passes is Brock Purdy (81 from 2018-21), now quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers. Becht's passing yardage is third behind Purdy (12,170) and Bret Meyer (9,499 from 2004-07).

Becht's best season came in 2024 when he passed for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns, both second in school history behind Purdy's 3,982 yards and 27 scores in 2019.

But last season, Becht struggled with a shoulder injury and passed for just 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns against nine interceptions. He underwent surgery after the season for a partially torn labrum.

Another factor in the drop was that Iowa State lost star receivers Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to the Houston Texans in the 2025 NFL Draft.

Backup quarterback Alex Manske also is joining the Nittany Lions. According to the Des Moines Register, at least 11 Iowa State players have transferred to Penn State.

Among the list is tight end Ben Brahmer (37 catches, six touchdowns in 2024), safety Marcus Neal (two interceptions, 11 tackles for loss) and linebacker Caleb Bacon (68 tackles).

--Field Level Media

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