Iowa State Cyclones Star Rocco Becht Disrespected in Quarterback Power Rankings

Rocco Becht deserves better in recent college football quarterback power rankings.

Nirmalendu Majumdar/Ames Tribune / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones suffered a brutal loss in Week 6 at the hands of the Cincinnati Bearcats. Traveling for their first true road game of their Big 12 schedule, they suffered their first defeat of the year.

Iowa State was defeated 38-30, falling into a massive 17-0 hole before the first quarter was even over. They showed a lot of grit and toughness battling back in the game, but ultimately, their comeback fell short.

The Cyclones failed to make the big play when they needed it most. Clutch performances have been coming weekly, but they were lacking last weekend against the Bearcats. Head coach Matt Campbell took responsibility for the loss, saying he didn’t have his team as prepared as they should have been.

On the defensive side of the ball, that was true for a majority of the game. Cincinnati scored on its first five possessions of the game, getting into the end zone for touchdowns four times and kicking one field goal.

Rocco Becht continues producing for Iowa State offense

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

The rout certainly looked to be on, but Iowa State star Rocco Becht had other ideas. Despite his team facing a massive deficit, he was out there giving it his all to the final whistle.

Beaten and battered at points, he absorbed a ton of hits throughout the afternoon. At one point, he was crushed by a defender and knocked out of the game for a few plays as he was evaluated for a concussion.

Becht was able to return to the game and continued carving up a Bearcats defense that has been susceptible to the pass all season long. He did everything in his power to help put the Cyclones in a position to win, but it was for naught.

The star quarterback would finish the game completing 30 of 48 passes for 314 yards and two touchdowns. Two more scores were added on the ground, and he ended his streak of games with an interception at two.

Rocco Becht inexplicably drops in quarterback power rankings

Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

Despite the heroic performance, Becht somehow managed to drop in the quarterback power rankings shared by David Cobb of CBS Sports. Inexplicably, he dropped out of the top 10.

He went from No. 18 to No. 21, getting surpassed by Jaylon Daniels of the Kansas Jayhawks, Darian Mensah of the Duke Blue Devils and Carson Beck of the Miami (FL) Hurricanes.

Team performance certainly plays a part in the rankings, but Becht deserves better. He is stuffing the stat sheet, completing 64.9% of his passes for 1,417 yards and nine touchdowns through the air with only two interceptions. His rating sits at a career high of 151.0, and he has added seven more scores on the ground.

Those numbers are all the more impressive when taking into account how shaky the running game has been in support of the passing game. The team also had to replace two NFL players at wide receiver.

Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel were both selected in the 2025 NFL Draft by the Houston Texans. Replacing that kind of dynamic talent is easier said than done, but Becht is finding a way to get the job done with a new supporting cast around him.