Becht rejoins Campbell, transfers to Penn State

Former Iowa State quarterback Rocco Becht committed to Penn State, he told ESPN in a phone interview Sunday. He’ll spend his final college season there, playing for his former coach at Iowa State, Matt Campbell.

Becht will bring 26 career wins as a starter to Penn State, the most of any returning quarterback in college football in 2026.

He chose Penn State after being one of the most coveted quarterbacks in the NCAA transfer portal, as he drew interest from 10 schools who conveyed he was their top target — six ACC, two Big 12, one Big Ten and one SEC.

Becht said that reuniting with his coaching staff, including Campbell, offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser and quarterback coach Jake Waters, loomed large in his decision.

“To be in the same system over the past two years and to have that again, it’s something pretty important to me,” he said. “It’s the best opportunity for me to go into my senior season to show everything that I’ve got.”

Becht has flashed the production and potential to be one of the top quarterbacks in the sport next year and a top-tier NFL draft prospect. He led Iowa State to 11 wins in 2024, finishing that season with 25 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

In his career, he has 9,275 passing yards, 499 rushing yards and has accounted for 64 touchdown passes and 19 rushing touchdowns.

The total passing yards will rank second behind new Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover among returning players in college football in 2026. His touchdown production — both throwing and total — will rank among the top five in the sport entering next season.

In 2025, Becht’s production dipped amid some personnel changes and some injuries. The injuries included labrum surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.

Becht says he is wearing a sling until Jan. 11 and has a timeline of return somewhere around mid-April. Becht played a majority of the season with a patrial labrum tear in his shoulder, and he also dealt with an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder late.

When asked what type of player Penn State was getting, Becht told ESPN: “Penn State is getting a winner, someone who is competitive and wants to win every game. Whatever my stats may be, all I want to do is win. Whatever I have to do for the team.”

Becht visited Penn State over the weekend and said he got chills the first time he walked into Beaver Stadium, which seats more than 106,000. Iowa State’s Jack Trice Stadium, which is one of the bigger venues in the Big 12, has a capacity around 61,000.

He said Penn State’s team goals for next year include winning 10 games, reaching the Big Ten championship and the College Football Playoff. He’s optimistic about the mix of talent coming from Iowa State and players being retained from Penn State by Campbell and his staff.

“Penn State has been around a long time, and there’s a lot of tradition and championships and great players that have gone through there,” Becht told ESPN. “Just the way that former players and the athletic director, Pat Kraft, say about the place — the living alumni and the effects they have on the community and how they take care of players when they move on.

“It’s something that I want to be a part of. And I want to try and win a national championship.”

Becht said he’s excited to reconnect with his old offensive staff, as Penn State fans can expect Iowa State to run RPOs, operate under center and also from shotgun. The offense also uses the tight end in many different ways, and already former Iowa State tight ends Benjamin Brahmer and Gabe Burkle have committed to the program.

“Oh my gosh, it’s awesome,” Becht said. “To have them on the same team and go out with them one last time. And to bring them over and blend in Penn State culture and bring what we had at Iowa State is something I’m really excited for.”

He also said he was excited to see his head coach, Campbell, in a new place. He said that they strived to win the national title at Iowa State, but it was a hard environment to compete at those highest levels.

“We were listening to him talk yesterday, and something about him changed,” Becht said. “He’s got the resources and people behind him and a program behind him to do what he wants to do — compete for a national championship.”