Iowa State Cyclones Former Quarterback Unsurprisingly Commits to Penn State

To the surprise of no one, a former Iowa State Cyclones quarterback has committed to the Penn State Nittany Lions.

Nov 16, 2013; University Park, PA, USA; General view of a Penn State Nittany Lions helmet prior to the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Beaver Stadium. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

When head coach Matt Campbell announced that he would be accepting a job with the Penn State Nittany Lions, the Iowa State Cyclones prepared for a lot of changes.

Jimmy Rogers was hired away from the Washington State Cougars, tasked with replacing the winningest coach in program history. Being the successor to someone as successful as Campbell is a major challenge, especially because of how much work has to be done with the roster.

Iowa State saw more than 50 players enter the transfer portal. When including players who exhausted eligibility or declared for the 2026 NFL Draft, the number of departures was closer to 60.

Virtually every position needed reinforcements on the depth chart. That includes the most important spot on the field: quarterback.

Rocco Becht, Alex Manske commit to Penn State

Nov 29, 2025; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) runs during the second half against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Three-year starter Rocco Becht and freshman Alex Manske both announced they were entering the transfer portal. They are going to be teammates once again, with both of them committing to Campbell for the second time in their careers, heading to Penn State.

Chris Hummer of 247Sports and CBS Sports shared that Becht has officially committed to the Nittany Lions. Campbell’s starter for the last three years will be using his final year of collegiate eligibility to play for him again, this time in College Station.

This is a big-time addition for the Nittany Lions, who now have their starting quarterback for 2026 and a succession plan for life after Becht. With offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser also following Campbell to Happy Valley, this should be an easier transition than most quarterbacks undergo when transferring.

Becht had to battle several injuries in 2025, leading to a step back in some of his production. He threw for only 2,584 yards and 16 touchdowns after producing career highs with 3,505 and 25 in 2024. However, he did tie his career high with eight rushing touchdowns.

Iowa State QB transfer Rocco Becht has signed with Penn State, @mzenitz and I have learned for @CBSSports.

Matt Campbell gets Iowa State's QB1 to follow him to State College. https://t.co/w1jAIrYTCB pic.twitter.com/vIozdD0DI6

— Chris Hummer (@chris_hummer) January 4, 2026

When healthy, he is a steady performer who has shown incredible leadership abilities throughout his career. Campbell has to be thrilled to have Becht under center leading his offense for one more season.

That is now five former Cyclones heading to Penn State along with tight end Benjamin Brahmer, safety Marcus Neal Jr. and offensive lineman Will Tompkins.

While Cyclones fans are certainly disappointed seeing their star quarterback officially leave the program, the sting of his loss has been softened a bit because the program has found a replacement on the transfer portal.

Jaylen Raynor, formerly of the Arkansas State Red Wolves, committed to Iowa State. He is following the team’s new quarterbacks coach, Keith Heckendorf, from Arkansas State, where he was the offensive coordinator.