Penn State Gets 'Monumental' News Regarding Quarterback Alex Manske

CHICAGO | Penn State coach Matt Campbell provided some good news regarding quarterback Alex Manske on Tuesday at Big Ten Football Media Days, Campbell said that Manske, one of two quarterbacks who followed him from Iowa State to Penn State this offseason, has been cleared to participate in training camp after missing spring drills.

Campbell said that Manske was dealing with a “medical condition” earlier this year and called his return a “monumental win.”

“I think where we won tremendously was Alex really got cleared [to participate in offseason drills] right around the first of June,” Campbell said. “There was a process back, and by July 1, he was actually fully cleared for football. He's been throwing.

“He's had the opportunity to go through the majority of our summer program, and he will be ready to go and fully cleared as we start fall camp. So I think that is a monumental win because Alex certainly — we believe in what his talent level is.”

Manske, a redshirt freshman, joined fellow quarterback Rocco Becht in following Campbell from Ames to State College. He is a former 4-star recruit out of Algona High School in Iowa, where he ranked as the second-best player in the state, 25th-best quarterback in the country and the 305th overall player in the recruiting 2025 class, per the 247Sports Composite.

But Manske hasn’t been healthy since his senior year of high school. An all-state quarterback in Iowa, Manske sustained what Campbell called “the Brock Purdy injury,” a torn ulnar collateral ligament, in his elbow as a senior, which forced him to miss spring ball and summer activities during his freshman season at Iowa State.

“It was one of those [tough moments] just because you know what Alex has been through a little bit,” Campbell said. “He had this incredible senior year and incredible junior year at his high school. His senior year got cut short right before the playoffs because of the Brock Purdy injury to his elbow, so he missed spring ball his freshman year at Iowa State. He got cleared right as we were heading into fall camp, and really had a tremendous fall camp a year ago there, but missed spring, missed the summer.”

Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Alex Manske (7) runs with the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs. — Iowa State Cyclones quarterback Alex Manske (7) runs with the ball against the TCU Horned Frogs during the second half at Amon G. Carter Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Though Manske missed his first spring at Iowa State, he returned to play in three games and complete four of five passes. The “medical condition” that caused Manske to miss time with Penn State this year is a separate issue.

“He just needs to get more reps and go because he's got all the talent that you want,” Penn State quarterbacks coach Jake Waters said earlier this year. “He's tough. He can run. He's not scared of contact.

“We used him in a little quarterback run [at Iowa State], things like that last year, but he’s a guy that has all the tools that he just needs to keep working overall on how to be a college quarterback: what it takes to be a college quarterback, how to get through reads, how to read defenses, every decision that’s super critical that we have to make, how to do that, how to handle an offense, situational football, just whatever, everything that goes into being a quarterback, he's just got to keep learning and grinding on.”

Without Manske, Penn State gave Division III transfer Connor Barry most of the second-team reps during spring drills. Barry earned praise from Campbell and Waters for the progress he made this spring, but Manske represents Penn State’s future at the position.

“The development piece, when you talk about the first year-and-a-half of his career, has been a little bit choppy,” Campbell said. “And so to be able to have him this summer, to have all of fall camp and as we get into this football season to continue to grow and develop his skill set, I think that's huge for us as evaluating Alex. But also for Alex's confidence to grow forward so he can be the quarterback of the future of our program.”

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