Penn State Nittany Lions Seen as Early Front-Runner for Iowa State Cyclones' Star

Will the star player from the Iowa State Cyclones go to the Penn State Nittany Lions?

Dec 8, 2025; University Park, PA, USA; Matt Campbell answers questions from the media after being announced as the Penn State Nittany Lions new head coach during a press conference at the Beaver Stadium Press Room. | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

The Iowa State Cyclones suffered the major blow that many were expecting with the announcement that quarterback Rocco Becht will be entering the transfer portal. 

It was a tough Saturday afternoon for the Cyclones. After three amazing years as the starting quarterback for Iowa State, Becht understandably elected to go into the transfer portal. With his head coach and positional coaches leaving for the Penn State Nittany Lions, it wasn’t too much of a surprise that he decided to go in this direction. 

Now, new head coach Jimmy Rogers will be attempting to figure out who the quarterback of the future is going to be for the Cyclones. Iowa State very well might look to the transfer portal for an addition, or they could elect to give the talented Alex Manske a shot. 

Time will tell what direction they go at the position, but they will at the very least have some options. Becht will be entering the portal as one of the best quarterbacks available, and he should garner a lot of attention. 

However, according to Pete Nakos of On3, there is an early team to watch as the potential favorite for him, and that is the Nittany Lions. 

Penn State Makes Early Sense for Becht

William Purnell-Imagn Images

As soon as Matt Campbell left for Penn State, the immediate concern for the Cyclones would be that a majority of their talent would follow him. So far, he has brought over most of his coaching staff, and a lot of recruits that just recently signed with Iowa State have been released from their intent. 

Now, with the transfer portal opening in less than two weeks, players from Iowa State are making it known that they will be looking to go into the portal soon. For Becht, with his senior year left to go, it makes sense that following the coaches he has been playing for the last couple of years would be the wise decision. 

As Becht looks to make the jump to the NFL likely after the 2026 campaign, learning a new system with new coaches could derail his development a bit. Going and performing well at Penn State with Campbell would be a good thing for both sides, with their familiarity. 

Overall, while other teams will certainly check in on the talented signal caller, Penn State should be seen as the early favorite to land the talented quarterback.