Iowa State Cyclones' Rocco Becht Receive National Recognition at Midseason Mark

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht has been recently recognized for his strong first half of the year.

Oct 11, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht (3) prepares to pass in the second quarter against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones have entered their second bye week with a 5-2 record. While that might seem strong, this was a team that was 5-0 and had some high hopes for the campaign. Back-to-back losses in the conference on the road have really hurt the program, but there is still time to make a run. 

There are still going to be some big conference games on the schedule for the program in the second half of the year with some chances to play teams in the Top 25. The Cyclones will have to improve in some areas if they are going to win these challenging games, but they have some talent on the team to do so. 

Coming into the year, this was a team that figured to be one that was going to lean on their rushing attack and defense. So far, they have run the ball well for the most part, but the team has had to throw the ball likely a bit more than they would have expected. Fortunately, Iowa State does have an experienced quarterback under center who makes a lot of big plays for the team. 

Blake Brockermeyer of CBS Sports recently wrote about the top 150 players in college football at the midseason mark. Cyclones’ Rocco Becht came in ranked 137th. 

Becht Receives Fair Ranking

Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The signal caller for Iowa State wasn’t the only player for Iowa State to make the list as their star defensive tackle Domonique Orange came in ranked 43rd. Orange is undoubtedly a talented player and could be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. 

Even though Becht might not be as talented as Orange, he is arguably the most important player for the Cyclones. The junior signal caller is having a strong season and has made some big plays when the team has needed them most. 

Overall, he has been both a strong passer and a good runner for the team. In 2025, he has totaled 1,622 passing yards, nine passing yards, and three interceptions. On the ground, he has totaled seven rushing touchdowns and is just one off a career-high. 

Even though Iowa State has lost two straight games, Becht has mostly been a consistent force for the team on offense. As the team hopes to make a run after their bye week, the performance of Becht going forward will be key.